Cessna 170B N63DJ

Summary

On 6 July 2003 at about 22:00 local time, a Cessna 170B registered N63DJ was involved in an accident near Palmer, Alaska, United States. 2 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

6 July 2003 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Palmer, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.4714, -148.7358

Aircraft

Cessna 170B

Registration

N63DJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chugiak → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC03LA068

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's misjudged distance and altitude during an approach to land at an off-airport landing site, which resulted in an undershoot, and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he was attempting to land his tailwheel airplane on a river bar with a steep bank at the approach end. He said that after a prolonged power-off approach to the site, he applied power to flare the airplane and "make my landing spot." He indicated that the engine "hesitated or sputtered," momentarily, and he had to turn to miss the bank. The airplane subsequently descended into the river and nosed over.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.