Cessna 172S accident near Whittier, Alaska, July 4, 2000
On July 4, 2000 at about 2:32 am local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N862SP, was destroyed in an accident near Whittier, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Suicide.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2000 · about 2:32 am local time
- Place
- Whittier, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N862SP · registry record · serial 17258196
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A private pilot departed from Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska, in a rented, wheel-equipped airplane. Prior to his departure, the pilot left an envelope in a friend's car, telling the friend not to open it until after the pilot had departed. The envelope contained a power of attorney, transferring all of the pilot's property to his brother, and a letter entitled "Message in a Bottle." About one hour after the airplane departed from the flight school, a witness aboard a boat saw the accident airplane flying very low over the water. The witness said that the wings were rocking back and forth, with the wingtips almost touching the water. He added that the airplane entered a collision course with his boat, which required his abrupt and evasive action to avoid being struck by the airplane. Numerous other witnesses in the area reported similar encounters with the same airplane. About one hour later, a passing airplane received a distress call from the accident airplane pilot stating the he had a loss of engine power, and that he was going down. The U.S. Coast Guard recovered the pilot's floating body. The airplane sank in deep ocean waters. Toxicology tests revealed Alcohol, Cocaine, and Valium in the pilot's blood, muscles, and organ tissue. The postmortem examination ruled the cause of death as a suicide. The pilot had a history of substance abuse, had previously been convicted of first-degree arson, and was being sought by local police for a recent arson.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 1, 1997
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 503 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 2000; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Safety Alaska, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 7:30 pm
- Destination: MDO Middleton Is. AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.