Cessna 170B accident near Russian Mission, Alaska, June 4, 1998
On June 4, 1998 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2235D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Russian Mission, Alaska (Kako airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions while landing. A factor associated with the accident was the presence of a tailwind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 1998 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Russian Mission, Alaska · Kako · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2235D · registry record · serial 20387
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo pilot was landing at a remote gravel airstrip. The pilot stated that prior to landing he had received a pilot report indicating that there was a slight breeze, favoring a landing to the east. He looked at the airstrip windsock, noted that it was hanging limp, and prepared to land to the west. He said that while landing to the west, and just after touchdown, a gust of wind from behind pushed the tail of the airplane to the left. The airplane veered to the right, and went off the right side of the runway and came to rest in a ditch that borders the runway. He said that his decision to land to the west was based on a more favorable approach, and it would eliminate the need to back taxi.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 99 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,163 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 27, 1997; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4Z4 Holy Cross AK at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC98LA050.