Cessna 172 accident near Akiachak, Alaska, July 9, 2005
On July 9, 2005 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N73788, was substantially damaged in an accident near Akiachak, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delay in aborting the landing, which resulted in the airplane running off the end of the runway and nosing over. A factor associated with the accident was the rough/uneven terrain off the end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2005 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Akiachak, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N73788 · no longer on the register · serial 17267680
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot of the 14 CFR Part 135 air taxi passenger flight said he carried extra airspeed while landing to compensate for gusty wind conditions. He said he landed long, and when he realized he could not stop on the remaining runway, he aborted the landing. The airplane did not become airborne, ran off the end of the runway onto rough terrain, and nosed over. The airplane received structural damage to the left wing.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,680 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Inland Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KBET Bethel AK
- Destination: Z13 Akiachak AK
- Runway 29
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.