Cessna 172 accident near Chugiak, Alaska, March 10, 2007
On March 10, 2007 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N73813, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chugiak, Alaska (Birchwood Airport). It was an instructional 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 instructor pilot's inadequate supervision of the student while landing, which resulted in an undershoot, and subsequent in-flight collision with snow-covered terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 2007 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chugiak, Alaska · Birchwood Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N73813 · registry record · serial 17267693
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor was providing primary flight instruction to the student pilot under Title 14, CFR Part 91, at the time of the accident. The flight instructor reported that while on final approach to land, he inadvertently allowed the student pilot to descend into a snow-covered area, about 40 feet short of the runway threshold. As the airplane's main wheels contacted an area of deep, hard packed snow, the airplane nosed down, and right wing struck the snow-covered terrain, sustaining substantial damage. The instructor noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 905 hours in all; 558 in this make and model; 128 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 822 as pilot in command; 499 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 8 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Elmendorf Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: EDF Anchorage AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: BCV Chugiak AK
- Runway 19R, 4,010 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.52 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N73813 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC07CA023.