ANC97LA067

Factual narrative

On May 3, 1997, about 1820 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Cessna 170B, N1828C, crashed during landing at the Dillingham Airport, Dillingham, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, and two passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Dillingham, about 1500. On May 3, 1997, at 1840, the pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), that he was landing on runway 19 at Dillingham. During the landing roll, the pilot encountered a slight crosswind. The airplane began to ground loop toward the right edge of the runway. The pilot applied left brake pressure, but the airplane continued to the right. The right main gear strut then broke, just above the right wheel axle. The right tire struck the right side of the airplane, buckling the right side of the fuselage. At 1748, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) at Dillingham was reporting in part: Wind, 231 degrees (magnetic) at 10 knots; visibility, 25 statute miles with showers in the vicinity; clouds, 3,000 feet scattered, 7,000 feet broken; temperature, 53 degrees F; dew point, 34 degrees F; altimeter, 30.04 inHg. A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), pilot/operator report, (NTSB form 6120.1/2), was not returned by the pilot. The pilot was landing a tailwheel/tundra-tire equipped airplane on runway 19. During the landing roll, the pilot encountered a crosswind. The airplane began to ground loop toward the right edge of the runway. The pilot applied left brake pressure, but the airplane continued to the right. The right main gear strut then broke, just above the right wheel axle. The right tire struck the right side of the airplane, buckling the right side of the fuselage. The wind was reported to be from about 230 degrees at 10 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12