- Date
- September 14, 2012, 18:00 local (Sep 15, 2012, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Atqasuk, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N84549Cessna 172K
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Fairbanks FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120914020109A
- Case key
- 85071
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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control while performing a high-speed taxi in windy conditions.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot stated that during a high-speed taxi, the wind pushed the airplane sideways into a shallow riverbed, and it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated that during a high speed taxi, the wind pushed the airplane sideways into a shallow riverbed, and it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84549
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258518
- Airframe hours
- 2,925
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 31, 2012 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- PABR · Barrow, AK
- Destination
- PABR · Barrow, AK
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 40 total · 40 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- PABR, 140 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.