- Date
- May 16, 1993, 22:00 local (May 17, 1993, 06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rohn Roadhouse, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N736BYCessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 17, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19930516014189A
- Case key
- 2340
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 in command's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and allowing the airspeed to go below stalling speed in the landing configuration.
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 airplane was equipped with a sportsman stol kit. The pilot was making an approach to an unimproved airstrip using an airspeed of 45 knots indicated. He stated the winds were light and variable to 5 knots and during the low passes he noticed only light 'bumps.' While on short final and just prior to touchdown, the airplane began to sink and he applied some power but not full throttle. The airplane struck the ground about 50 feet short of the airstrip in rough terrain and sheared the nose gear off and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On May 16, 1993, at 2200 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 172K airplane, N736BY, registered to and operated by the Pilot in Command, crashed short of an unimproved airstrip near the Rohn Roadhouse located on the Tatina River. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, last departed the Rohn Roadhouse, Alaska, and the destination was the accident site. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The Commercial Certificated Pilot in Command and the passenger were not injured, and the airplane received substantial damage.
According to the Pilot in Command, the airplane was equipped with a Sportsman STOL kit and he was using a final approach airspeed of 45 knots. He made a number of low passes over the airstrip and noticed only light "bumps." While on short final, and just prior to touchdown, the airplane began to sink and he applied a boost of power, but not full power. The airplane struck the ground about 50 feet short of the airstrip in rough terrain. The nose gear sheared off and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N736BY
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R1722408
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-K, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hill, Dwight E.
- Registered owner
- Hill, Dwight E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 29, 1993
- Destination
- Tatina River, AK
- Airport
- Tatina River, runway 36, 700 × 50 ft, gravel
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 775 total · 700 in this make and model · 746 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.