- Date
- May 20, 2001, 17:10 local (May 21, 2001, 01:10 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N98426Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010520039659A
- Case key
- 53196
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable taxi area during taxi. A factor associated with the accident was a tree.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The solo certificated private pilot was taxiing for departure when he inadvertently entered a roadway adjacent to the active taxiway. The right wing subsequently struck a large birch tree, and sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On May 20, 2001, about 1710 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Cessna 172P airplane, N98426, sustained substantial damage while taxiing for takeoff at the Lake Hood Strip, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the Civil Air Patrol Inc., Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on June 6, the Civil Air Patrol's safety officer reported that as the accident pilot was taxiing for departure from the Civil Air Patrol's maintenance hangar, en route to the active runway, he inadvertently entered a roadway adjacent to the active taxiway. The right wing subsequently struck a large birch tree, and sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98426
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276290
- Airframe hours
- 3,684.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Civil Air Patrol
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 9, 2001 · 2.3 hours before
- Departed
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Z41 · Lake Hood Strip
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,016 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.