Accident Overview
On July 22, 2010, at approximately 2000 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Cessna 170B airplane (registration N4590C) sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain about 18 miles northeast of Palmer, Alaska. The aircraft was being operated by the private pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91 as a visual flight rules personal local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had departed the Palmer Airport around 1830.
Pilot Account
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on July 27, the pilot reported that he and the passenger were on a local sightseeing flight. He stated he flew up a creek he had not previously navigated. Upon seeing an airstrip, he decided to make a practice approach with no intention to land. Approaching the threshold, he initiated a positive rate of climb, but after traversing the length of the landing area, the airplane began to descend. Suspecting a downdraft, the pilot applied full power, but the descent continued. He checked the engine controls to verify they were in a climb configuration, which they were. The aircraft had been flown with 20 degrees of flaps; when it became apparent the descent could not be arrested, he added full flaps to slow the airplane and cushion the impact. The airplane collided with rising terrain near the end of the airstrip, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Injuries and Survival
The private pilot sustained serious injuries, and the sole passenger received minor injuries. The aircraft was equipped with an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) that transmitted on 121.5 megahertz, an older analog model. Since February 1, 2009, search and rescue satellites no longer detect signals from 121.5 MHz ELTs. Newer 406 MHz ELTs are received within seconds of activation and notify rescuers within minutes. In this accident, the pilot and passenger were missing for two days. Despite serious injuries, they were able to walk to a trail, where a group of all-terrain vehicle riders assisted them.
Pilot's Comments
In a written report dated July 27, the pilot indicated that improving proficiency in recognizing potential weather hazards and maintaining greater situational awareness might have helped prevent the accident.