Cessna 170B accident near Portland, Oregon, May 1, 2005
On May 1, 2005 at about 3:11 am local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N6352Y, was destroyed in an accident near Portland, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to control the airplane due to his incapacitation (carbon monoxide poisoning) from a deteriorated engine exhaust muffler. A contributing factor was the inadequate annual inspection by other maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2005 · about 3:11 am local time
- Place
- Portland, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6352Y · no longer on the register · serial 25326
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was returning to its home airport when the pilot became incapacitated by carbon monoxide fumes from the airplanes engine muffler heat exchanger [the heat control knob was found "On"]. During the last 15 minutes of flight, the radar data shows the airplane flying several meandering 360 degree turns before impacting terrain. Postimpact examination of the engine's muffler revealed a crack around the entire circumference just aft of it's forward flange. The airplane's last annual inspection was completed on February 1, 2005. The FAA, in Federal Aviation Regulation, Part 43: Maintenance, Preventive maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alteration, Appendix D, provides guidelines for an airplane's annual inspection. Section (d) (8) Exhaust stacks--for cracks, defects, and improper attachment. The airplane's manufacturer also provides a checklist for an annual inspection in the aircraft's Service Manual. In the section for the Engine Compartment, #12. Exhaust system for security, leaks, cracks, and burned-out spots. Refer to Paragraph 12-74 [Inspection of the exhaust system].
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: 338 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,371 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2005; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C 145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PUW Pullman WA
- Destination: VUO Vancouver WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from PDX, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.