Cessna 172 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, June 16, 2012
On June 16, 2012 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5874A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Skwentna, Alaska (Skwentna 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper decision of the driver of the all-terrain vehicle to enter an active runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2012 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · Skwentna · 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
- N5874A · registry record · serial 28474
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing on a gravel runway as part of an organized fly-in event. During the landing roll, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) entered and proceeded down the runway, weaving from side to side. To avoid the ATV, the pilot pulled back on the control yoke. The airplane climbed and then drifted to the left, striking a tree on the edge of the runway; the airplane then turned left 180 degrees and came to rest in the brush alongside the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aileron. The pilot noted that the accident might have been avoided if the organization that hosted the event had taken responsibility for securing the runway.
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
- Runway incursion veh/AC/person during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Ability to respond/compensate
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 529 hours in all; 420 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,380 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 24, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z41 Anchorage AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Skwentna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Observation at 3:50 pm from PASW, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 ANC12CA054.