- Date
- February 16, 2024, 18:40 local (Feb 17, 2024, 03:40 UTC)
- Place
- Trapper Creek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1258VCessna R172K
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA - FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240216009349A
- Case key
- 193818
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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall; loss of airplane control; and impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
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 pilot reported that after dropping a package while on a low pass, the airplane encountered an aerodynamic stall, contacted brush and trees, and impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest inverted, causing substantial damage to the empennage, elevator, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1258V
- Reported as
- Cessna R172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R1722154
- Airframe hours
- 3,497
- Engine
- Continental IO360K1B, 195,210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 17, 2023 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- AQY · Girdwood, AK
- Destination
- AQY · Girdwood, AK
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
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, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 10, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,204 total · 882 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- PATK, 21 nm away
- METAR
- PATK 170253Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR M02/M11 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP146 T10171111 55003 TSNO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.3 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.