- Date
- March 10, 2007, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chugiak, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N73813Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20070310002969A
- Case key
- 65414
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 instructor pilot's inadequate supervision of the student while landing, which resulted in an undershoot, and subsequent in-flight collision with snow-covered terrain.
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 certificated flight instructor was providing primary flight instruction to the student pilot under Title 14, CFR Part 91, at the time of the accident. The flight instructor reported that while on final approach to land, he inadvertently allowed the student pilot to descend into a snow-covered area, about 40 feet short of the runway threshold. As the airplane's main wheels contacted an area of deep, hard packed snow, the airplane nosed down, and right wing struck the snow-covered terrain, sustaining substantial damage. The instructor noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor was providing primary flight instruction to the student pilot under Title 14, CFR Part 91, at the time of the accident. The flight instructor reported that while on final approach to land, he inadvertently allowed the student pilot to descend into a snow-covered area, about 40 feet short of the runway threshold. As the airplane's main wheels contacted an area of deep, hard packed snow, the airplane nosed down, and right wing struck the snow-covered terrain, sustaining substantial damage. The instructor noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73813
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267693
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Elmendorf Aero Club
- Registered owner
- United States Air Force
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EDF · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- BCV · Chugiak, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- BCV · Birchwood Airport, runway 19R, 4,010 × 100 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 905 total · 558 in this make and model · 822 as pilot in command · 128 in the last 90 days · 56 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8 total · 5 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 23 °F, dew point 5 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.52 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N73813 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.