Cessna 170B accident near South Haven, Minnesota, March 4, 2001
On March 4, 2001 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2577D, was substantially damaged in an accident near South Haven, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the terrain during the maneuver to avoid the tree line. Factors to the accident were the diminished aircraft handling, the pilot's maneuver to avoid the tree line, the unsuitable terrain for takeoff selected by the pilot, the snow covered lake, and the tree line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2001 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- South Haven, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2577D · registry record · serial 20729
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting a takeoff from a snow-covered frozen lake. According to the pilot's written statement, "Taking off lake on skis. Snow was sticky - take off run was long - got airborne - couldn't climb above approaching trees - elected to turn left and land on lake." The pilot reported, "Hit the snow with the left wing tip - couldn't straighten flight path - ski on right hit snow with side load & ripped off under plane with the whole gear[.]" The pilot stated that the airplane came to rest approximately 120-feet from where the wingtip impacted terrain.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,475 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 3,200 as pilot in command; 50 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 27, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,091 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 2001; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: South Haven MI at 7:30 pm
- Destination: Forest Lake MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from STC, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.