Cessna 177 accident near Gridwood, Alaska, March 11, 2007
On March 11, 2007 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N2911X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gridwood, Alaska (Girdwood airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of a snow-covered runway for landing, which resulted in a quick stop and damage to the airplane. A factor associated with the accident was the snow-covered runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2007 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gridwood, Alaska · Girdwood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N2911X · registry record · serial 17700311
- 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 conducting a cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. He indicated that he checked the few sources available to determine the condition of the destination airport's unmonitored runway. Upon arrival he made a low pass over the snow-covered runway, and said it looked like it had been plowed due to the berm on either side. He said during landing, the wheel-equipped airplane came to an abrupt stop in deep snow, damaging the right wing and propeller when they struck the ground. He stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The FAA's Alaska Airport Supplement states, in part: Unattended, runway not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to landing.
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: 270 hours in all; 71 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 270 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,791 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 10:45 pm
- Destination: AQY Gridwood AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.