Cessna 172R accident near Montana Creek, Alaska, March 5, 2011
On March 5, 2011 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N447AF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Montana Creek, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to recognize that he was landing at the wrong airstrip on a snow-covered and unplowed runway, resulting in the airplane nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2011 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Montana Creek, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N447AF · no longer on the register · serial 17280447
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was flying from one airport to another using a highway as a reference. He saw an airport that he thought was his destination airport and made a straight-in approach for landing. Just before touching down, he realized that he was not landing at the correct airport and instead was landing on a snow-covered and unplowed private airstrip. He realized that he did not have time to go around and landed on the snow. The airplane crossed a snow machine track and nosed over. The engine firewall and both wings sustained substantial damage.
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
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of geographic area › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 249 hours in all; 134 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 180 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Elmendorf Air Force Base Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: PATK Talkeetna AK
- Destination: PAUO Willow AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point -4°F (-20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PATK, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.