- Date
- August 4, 1985, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N20338Cessna C-172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19850804042019A
- Case key
- 4548
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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-in-command was on a personal flight with the purpose of observing a hunting camp from the air. While maneuvering in the canyon, the pilot stated he encountered a downdraft. He applied full power and lowered the flaps 20 degrees. The airplane continued to descend and the pilot elected to land on the canyon floor in the brush. The airplane rolled approximately 150 foot on its landing gear before nosing over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20338
- Reported as
- Cessna C-172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61202
- Airframe hours
- 1,809
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Bruce Bell
- Registered owner
- Henry Austen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 1985 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- Z16 · Wasilla, 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
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,444 total · 713 in this make and model · 3,216 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 90 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.