Cessna 170 accident near Delta Junction, Alaska, April 19, 1997
On April 19, 1997 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N4217V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Delta Junction, Alaska (Delta Junction airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1997 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Delta Junction, Alaska · Delta Junction · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N4217V · no longer on the register · serial 18573
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-certificated pilot was landing a tail-wheel equipped airplane after completion of a local flight. After touchdown, the airplane began to drift toward the right. The pilot corrected toward the left, and the airplane began to ground loop. The right main gear leg broke at a hole drilled through the bottom of the gear strut where the brake mechanism was normally attached. The gear then collapsed. The right wing struck the ground and received damage to the right wing spar and several wing ribs. The pilot did not possess a pilot or medical certificate. He had accrued about 600 hrs of flight experience.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Flight time: 600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 17, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D66
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 2,400 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N4217V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.