Cessna 172 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, November 9, 2002
On November 9, 2002 at about 7:18 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N80948, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately remove frost/ice from the airplane which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush during the takeoff/initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 2002 · about 7:18 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N80948 · no longer on the register · serial 17266815
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot performed a preflight of the airplane that included his use of a broom to brush frost from the wings and tail. He reported that he used hot water and a squeegee to remove ice and water on the tail, windshield, and wings. The pilot then taxied the airplane to a fueling facility on the airport ramp. After fueling, the pilot said that an engine run-up and a flight control check before departure were normal. He then taxied for takeoff, and began the takeoff roll. The pilot rotated the airplane into a climb attitude at 50 knots. The airplane engine was developing 2,500 rpm, and the airplane began to climb at 65 knots. After the airplane traveled beyond the departure end of the runway, where the terrain dropped away from the runway surface, the pilot indicated that the airplane immediately began to crab to the left and the flight controls felt sluggish or mushy. He began a slow climb, but said the flight controls became even more sluggish, resembling an imminent stall. The pilot reported the sound of the engine began to drop as though it was losing power. He began a slow turn to the left and the right wing dropped slightly, but he leveled the wings. The pilot reported that the airplane began to descend in a stalled condition toward an area of trees. He said he pulled the engine power to off, just prior to contacting several electrical wires, and then numerous trees. The airplane came to rest upright, 1/2 mile south of the departure end of the runway with damage to the landing gear, fuselage, wings, and empennage. Another airplane owner, who was working on his airplane while it was parked at the same facility where the accident airplane was parked, commented that there was "Major frost and ice build up on most airplanes. Mine and others around me [were] unflyable due to this." A METAR at the departure airport was reporting in part: Temperature, 34 degrees F; dew point, 27 degrees F. A postaccident examination of the airplane's engine did not discover any evidence of mechanical 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: 290 hours in all; 280 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 240 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,505 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 2002; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 7:18 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,640 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.42 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAMR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.