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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

March 5, 2004 · Cessna 170A · N515N

North Pole, AK

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
March 5, 2004
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
North Pole, AK
Aircraft
Cessna 170A
Tail Number
N515N
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ANC04LA034

The private certificated pilot attempted to takeoff in his ski-equipped tailwheel airplane from a snow covered runway. He reported that the airplane didn't seem to accelerate as quickly as it normally did, which he attributed to the snow condition. The airplane lifted off and settled onto the runway three times before the pilot aborted the takeoff. He was unable to stop the airplane on the runway, and it ran off the end and collided with a snowbank, receiving substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot wrote in his report to the NTSB that the accident could have been prevented "by aborting the takeoff in a timely manner."

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's delayed response in initiating an aborted takeoff, which resulted in an overrun and collision with a snowbank.

Full Narrative

On March 5, 2004, about 1130 Alaska daylight time, a ski-equipped Cessna 170A airplane, N515N, received substantial damage when it collided with a snowbank during an aborted takeoff from the Bradley Sky Ranch airstrip, North Pole, Alaska. The private pilot/airplane owner and the sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident, and the intended destination was a remote, off-airport site about 100 miles north of Fort Yukon, Alaska. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 5, at 1430, the pilot related that he was departing on runway 33, which was snow covered and 3,400 feet long. He described the snow on the airstrip as "soft and sticky." He said the airplane didn't seem to accelerate as quickly as it normally did, which he attributed to the snow condition. The airplane continued to accelerate slowly, lifted off, and then settled onto the airstrip. The pilot said the airplane did this two more times, before he reduced the engine power and aborted the takeoff. The airplane subsequently ran off the end of the runway and hit a snowbank, sustaining structural damage to the right wing, main landing gear gear box, right horizontal stabilizer, and left wing lift strut. The pilot wrote in his report to the NTSB that the accident could have been prevented "by aborting the takeoff in a timely manner."

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time06:30 AKST
Nearest AirportBradley Sky Ranch (0nm)
Runway33
Runway Length3400 ft
Runway Width80 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 170A
Tail NumberN515N
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · O-300A · Reciprocating · 145
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 62 · Third Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
WindCalm
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point-9 C / 0 C
Altimeter0
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data