Cessna 172S accident near Cooper Landing, Alaska, August 6, 2001
On August 6, 2001 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N813SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cooper Landing, Alaska (Quartz Creek airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate remedial action to disconnect the autopilot during an uncommanded altitude deviation while in cruise flight. Factors in the accident were activation of the autopilot; the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane's autopilot system; her failure to attain the proper touchdown point during an emergency landing, and delayed go-around resulting in an overrun and collision with trees; the operator's insufficient training standards for the airplane, and the pilot's flight instructor's failure to provide adequate upgrade/transition training in the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2001 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Cooper Landing, Alaska · Quartz Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N813SP · no longer on the register · serial 172S8723
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was on a personal sightseeing flight in a rental airplane. The pilot had limited experience in the airplane that was equipped with an intergrated flight/nav/autopilot system. During cruise flight, the airplane suddenly pitched upward. The pilot pushed forward on the control yoke, and noticed the trim wheel moving in a nose up direction. She used the manual trim wheel to trim the airplane nose down, but the airplane still pitched upward. The pilot began to exert forward pressure on the control yoke to keep the airplane from climbing, and asked her front seat passenger to help push forward on the control yoke. The pilot made a "mayday" call and decided to make an emergency landing at a 2,200 feet gravel surface airport. The pilot said she turned onto about a one mile final approach, but said she was either going too fast, or the runway was too short. The airplane touched down about mid-length on the runway and bounced several times. The pilot saw the end of the runway approaching, and added full throttle to begin a go-around. The airplane collided with trees at the departure end the runway. The pilot said she did not know if the autopilot was on or off, but she did not consciously select or use the autopilot, and did not even know if the airplane was equipped with electric trim. The pilot said she remembered seeing 7000 displayed in a box located above the transponder (the autopilot computer). The pilot said she used the radio transmit button on the left side of the pilot's control yoke, but did not use any other switches on the yoke. The pilot said her front seat passenger is not a pilot, and did not touch any items on the control panel. The autopilot was installed on the right side of the instrument panel. The pilot did not receive any instruction from the operator, or from her flight instructor about the autopilot system, and the pilot did not familiarize herself with the autopilot system. The pilot's flight instructor reported that during a previous training flight with another student, he discovered the autopilot system was on, even though he did not turn it on. Postaccident testing of the autopilot system did not reveal any malfunction.
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: 230 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 113 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 22, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 333.4 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 25, 2001; 38.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PANC Anchorage AK at 2:00 pm
- Destination: AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 2,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from PASX, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.