ANC96LA090

Factual narrative

On June 17, 1996, about 1130 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 170B, N2848C, crashed during landing at a private airport in Chena Hot Springs, Alaska, located about 42 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska, about 1030. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), reported that during the landing roll on runway 07, the airplane ground looped to the left, departing the left side of the runway. The right main landing gear was folded aft at the gear leg attach point to the fuselage. The airplane also received damage to the inboard end of the right wing aft spar and right wing tip. A witness reported that the airplane landed on the last 1/3 of the runway. From the initial touchdown point, the airplane rolled 140 feet and then heavy braking/skid marks were noted on the runway. The airplane traveled another 460 feet to the point of rest. In a telephone conversation on June 19, 1996, at 0835, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), the pilot indicated that during the landing roll, he encountered rough runway conditions which remained from recent maintenance. When the airplane was on a smoother and harder surface, the pilot applied the brakes and the airplane veered to the left. The Alaska airport/facility directory states that the turf/gravel surface is 2,000 feet long, muddy and washed, 6 to 12 inches deep, and is not maintained. The pilot was landing on a 2,000-foot long private airstrip. A witness reported that the airplane landed on the last 1/3 of the runway. From the initial touchdown point, the airplane rolled 140 feet, and then heavy braking/skid marks were noted on the runway. The airplane traveled another 460 feet to the point of rest off the left side of the runway. The pilot indicated that during the landing roll, he encountered rough runway conditions which remained from recent maintenance. When the airplane was on a smoother and harder surface, the pilot applied the brakes and the airplane ground looped to the left. The right main landing gear was folded aft at the gear leg attach point to the fuselage. The airplane also received damage to the inboard end of the right wing aft spar and right wing tip. The airport/facility directory states that the turf/gravel runway surface is muddy and washed, 6 to 12 inches deep, and is not maintained. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12