Cessna 140 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 21, 2003
On July 21, 2003 at about 6:32 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N72860, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane and excessive application of the airplane brakes during the landing roll that resulted in the airplane nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2003 · about 6:32 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N72860 · registry record · serial 10051
- 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 landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on an asphalt-surfaced runway that was 4,000-feet-long and 100-feet-wide. The pilot reported she landed slightly long, and during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left. She said she used the rudder and the brakes in an attempt to regain directional control, but the airplane suddenly nosed over. In the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, in the section, Recommendation (How Could This Accident Been Prevented?), the pilot wrote: "Ensure tailwheel is on the ground when brakes are applied, or do not apply brakes at all."
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
What happened, in order
- LOSS OF CONTROL - ON GROUND/WATER during landing - roll
- NOSE OVER during landing - roll
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, none, none
- Flight time: 423 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 1:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; scattered at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°C, dew point 55°C
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 am from PAMR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC03CA081.