Cessna 172N accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 31, 2006
On July 31, 2006 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N738LJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 possible loss of engine power during takeoff/initial climb for an unknown reason, which resulted in a forced landing in rough terrain and a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2006 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N738LJ · no longer on the register · serial 17270059
- 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 departed from a private grass airstrip on a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. He reported that the airplane lifted off at 55 nautical miles per hour, but would not climb. He said the airplane's engine felt like it was not producing normal takeoff power, and the airplane descended, struck the ground, and nosed over. The right wing and vertical stabilizer were damaged during the accident. The airplane has not been examined by the NTSB investigator-in-charge due to its remote location, and the pilot was unable to provide additional information regarding what may have precipitated the perceived loss of engine power.
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: 453 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 337 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,212 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Anchorage AK
- Destination: MRI Merrill Field AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°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.