Cessna 170B N2577D

Summary

On 4 March 2001 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna 170B registered N2577D was involved in an accident near South Haven, Minnesota, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 March 2001 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

South Haven, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

45.2903, -94.2091

Aircraft

Cessna 170B

Registration

N2577D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

South Haven → Forest Lake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI01LA098

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the terrain during the maneuver to avoid the tree line. Factors to the accident were the diminished aircraft handling, the pilot's maneuver to avoid the tree line, the unsuitable terrain for takeoff selected by the pilot, the snow covered lake, and the tree line.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was attempting a takeoff from a snow-covered frozen lake. According to the pilot's written statement, "Taking off lake on skis. Snow was sticky - take off run was long - got airborne - couldn't climb above approaching trees - elected to turn left and land on lake." The pilot reported, "Hit the snow with the left wing tip - couldn't straighten flight path - ski on right hit snow with side load & ripped off under plane with the whole gear[.]" The pilot stated that the airplane came to rest approximately 120-feet from where the wingtip impacted terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.