The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Here is a link to a 170 that crashed in Wasilla.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ ... CTION=HOME

I got it from the Fairbanks Newsminer online http://newsminer.com/

Buck

Very sad.......... The original story from the Anchorage Daily News is here. http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/matsu/st ... 6380c.html

plane crash deaths are always sad,
and one senses the dark cloud over
all our heads when this happens.
believe me, all my family and friends
tell me about every one of them.
i keep flying!!
dave

N4217V , Serial Number 18573
MFR Year 1948
Robert C. Sellers, Wasilla

NTSB Identification: ANC07FA037
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, May 04, 2007 in Wasilla, AK
Aircraft: Cessna 170, registration: N4217V
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On May 4, 2007, about 1548 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Cessna 170 airplane, N4217V, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees during a forced landing after takeoff from the Wolf Lake Airport, Wasilla, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.

A witness reported that he saw the airplane depart on runway 19 at Wolf Lake. The airplane climbed to about 200 feet, and the witness heard the engine lose power. The pilot made a right turn toward the north, and descended toward a residential area adjacent to the airport. The airplane collided with several trees, and then the ground, next to a residence.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, examined the airplane at the scene. The examination revealed that the wings, fuselage and landing gear were extensively damaged. The engine propeller received minor aft bending at the outboard tip of one propeller blade, but was otherwise undamaged. Blue colored fuel was present in the wing fuel tanks, and at the carburetor. The forward edge of the carburetor's mounting flange was broken at the engine mounting bolts, and the air filter/carburetor heat box was crushed. The airframe gascolator contained sediment, a small amount of water droplets, and evidence of corrosion around the base of the gascolator screen and the gascolator base. The wing fuel tanks contained small amounts of water. The right wing fuel cap had a rubber gasket seal. The left wing fuel cap had a cork gasket seal.

On May 8, 2007, the engine was placed on an engine test stand, and a replacement carburetor was installed. The engine was started and produced full power. An examination of the accident carburetor revealed that it contained sediment contamination, and small amounts of water droplets.

The NTSB just realeased the Probable Cause of this Accident....Fuel Contamination and failure of the PIC to detect and correct at preflight. Airplane was only flown 22 total hours in the prior 2 years. I didn't know the pilot or the airplane, but he was based only 2 miles from me. Very sad.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_i ... 0548&key=1

The pertinent remarks:
When tested with water detection paste, each tank contained small amounts of water. Fuel was present in the gascolator, and was obtained by opening the forward drain fitting. The aft drain fitting could not be opened due to rust and corrosion. The gascolator also contained sediment, a small amount of water droplets, corrosion around the base of the gascolator screen and the gascolator base, and small globs of a white, opaque, silicone-like grease material. Small globs of the grease material were also found in the carburetor inlet screen, and in the check valve between the gascolator and the carburetor. The interior of the fittings of fuel supply line from the gascolator and the carburetor had some corrosion. The engine was removed from the airframe and placed on an engine test stand. A replacement carburetor was installed, along with a wooden "club" test propeller. The engine was started and produced full rated rpm. The accident carburetor was placed on a test stand and it held normal fuel pressure without leaking. The carburetor bowl contained dirt, sediment, and small amounts of water. The accelerator pump functioned properly. The floats operated normally without binding. The airplane had been flown about 22 hours in the previous 2 years.



The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

A total loss of engine power during takeoff initial climb due to fuel contamination, and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.