Cessna 170 accident near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, January 14, 2017
On January 14, 2017 at about 10:15 pm local time, a 1953 Cessna 170, registered N3210A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho (Coeur D'Alene - Pappy Boyingto airport). 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 an appropriate descent rate during approach, which resulted in landing short of the runway threshold.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2017 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Coeur D'Alene, Idaho · Coeur D'Alene - Pappy Boyingto · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 B, built 1953 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N3210A · no longer on the register · serial 25854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the final approach, the airplane was too low, which he failed to notice and correct. Subsequently, the airplane landed short of the runway threshold in about 3 ft of snow and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left lift strut, firewall, and empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 104.5 hours in all; 10.5 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 8.8 in the last 30 days; 50 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 6, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,710 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 14, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C145 (piston); 3,605 hours total
- Operator: Inceptus INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 65S Bonners Ferry ID at 9:15 pm
- Destination: COE Coeur D'Alene ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 5,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from KCOE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 17, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3210A 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.