Cessna 170B accident near Lime Village, Alaska, September 23, 1997
On September 23, 1997 at about 7:35 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N1831C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lime Village, Alaska. 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
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 1997 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Lime Village, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1831C · registry record · serial 25975
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger were departing a small, remote gravel area in the tail-wheel equipped airplane. The takeoff area, located about 1,700 feet mean sea level, was about 800 feet long, and oriented on an east/west direction. The pilot departed toward the west, and lifted off near the end of the takeoff area. The tail of the airplane struck the tops of several willow trees, about 15 feet above the ground. The elevator received damage, and the pilot was unable to push forward on the control wheel. The airplane then stall/mushed, and settled onto the ground. The airplane's main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck additional willow trees. The pilot reported the wind conditions at the time of the accident were about 090 degrees at 3 knots.
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
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,575 hours in all; 1,450 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,483 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,545 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 8, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: MCG Mcgrath AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.
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.