Cessna 170 accident near Selah, Washington, January 27, 2019
On January 27, 2019 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 1948 Cessna 170, registered N4087V, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Selah, Washington (Private Airstrip 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power and a subsequent forced landing and impact with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 2019 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Selah, Washington · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 Undesignat, built 1948 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N4087V · registry record · serial 18419
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while doing pattern work and during his third approach, he turned to the base leg of the traffic pattern, and the engine lost power. He turned the fuel selector to "both," but he was unable to restart the engine. The airplane was equipped with an auxiliary fuel pump, which he did not turn on. Realizing the airplane would not reach the runway, the pilot chose to conduct a forced landing to a field, and during the landing roll, the airplane collided with a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. After the collision, the pilot visually checked both fuel tanks, and each tank contained "ample fuel." He believed that the engine lost power due to carburetor ice because he did not apply carburetor heat during the approach. The pilot reported that, about the time of the accident, the temperature was 38°F and the dew point was 30°F. Additionally, he recalled that the cloud condition was broken at 3,000 ft. The atmospheric conditions were conducive for moderate carburetor icing at cruise power. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he turned on the fuel pump during the takeoffs and landings and if he had turned on the carburetor heat on the downwind before landing.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,970 hours in all; 390 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 10, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 10, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C145 (piston); 3,500 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YKM Yakima WA at 11:10 pm
- Destination: PVT Selah WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 1,800 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.60 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from KYKM, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2019. 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 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.