- Date
- March 7, 2005, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- South Naknek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7871XCessna 172B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 7, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20050307006519A
- Case key
- 61132
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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions during taxi after landing, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. A factor associated with the accident was the gusty wind condition.
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 pilot landed in a strong crosswind without incident, but as he turned the airplane on the runway to back-taxi to parking, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the airplane nosed over, receiving structural damage to the wings and tail.
Factual narrative
On March 7, 2005, about 1400 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 172B airplane, N7871X, sustained substantial damage during taxi from landing when a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the airplane nosed over at the South Naknek Airport, South Naknek, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Naknek Airport, Naknek, Alaska, about 1355.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 8, the pilot said he landed in a strong crosswind without incident, but as he was turning the airplane around on the runway to back-taxi to parking, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the airplane nosed over. He said there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane, and that the airplane sustained structural damage to the wings and tail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7871X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17248371
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Chester Wilson
- Registered owner
- Pete Hill
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 3, 2004
- Departed
- 5NK · Naknek
- Destination
- 3AK · Naknek, AK
- Airport
- 3AK · South Naknek
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 25 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.