Cessna 170B accident near Schafer, Montana, July 27, 2003
On July 27, 2003 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N1979C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Schafer, Montana (Schafer /Usfs/ airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed remedial action during the takeoff roll. Factors include wet terrain, a fence and an embankment located at the end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2003 · about 1:45 pm local time · cases in 2003
- Place
- Schafer, Montana · Schafer /Usfs/ · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1979C · no longer on the register · serial 26124
- 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 he aborted the takeoff roll because he determined that the aircraft was not generating sufficient lift to execute a safe takeoff and clear obstacles located at the end of the runway. He reported that he applied heavy braking, however, the airplane skidded off the departure end of the runway, through a fence, and down an embankment. The pilot reported that the turf runway was damp at the time of the accident. He also reported that the he aborted the takeoff approximately halfway down the runway. The Schafer Airport is located at an elevation of 4,933 feet above mean sea level, and has a single turf runway (07/25), which is 3,200 feet long and 60 feet wide.
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: 334 hours in all; 134 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8U2 Schafer MT
- Destination: HLN Helena MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N1979C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1979C: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 170 2,085 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,683 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-300 6,624 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Schafer /Usfs/ Airport · nearest airport
- Helena Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Montana 1,119 since 1982 · 164 in the last ten years
- Montana 6,045 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N1979C 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA03CA155.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.