Cessna 172 accident near Bethel, Alaska, June 11, 2002
On June 11, 2002 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7564G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bethel, Alaska (Bethel airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll resulting in the right wing striking the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2002 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · Bethel · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7564G · registry record · serial 17259264
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was landing the airplane on a paved runway that was 6,398 feet long by 150 feet wide. The pilot said that during the landing roll, as he applied the airplane's brakes, the airplane suddenly veered to the left, and the right wingtip struck the runway surface. The airplane departed off the left edge of the runway. The airplane received damage to the right wingtip that entailed replacement of the wingtip, nose rib, and the leading edge of the wing between wing stations 190 and 208. No mechanical malfunction of the airplane was found.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 981 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 6, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,747 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 28, 2002; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hageland Aviation Services INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TLT Tuluksak AK at 3:20 pm
- Destination: PABE Bethel AK
- Runway 18, 6,398 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Observation at 3:07 pm from PABE
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.