Cessna 172M accident near Bethel, Alaska, December 15, 2013
On December 15, 2013 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 172M, registered N20109, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Bethel, Alaska (Bethel airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 decision to abort the takeoff with insufficient runway remaining, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 2013 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · Bethel · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M, built 1972 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N20109 · no longer on the register · serial 17261017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that, during the takeoff for the scheduled commuter flight, the airplane briefly became airborne but that it immediately settled back onto the runway. The pilot started to abort the takeoff, but he then realized that he did not have sufficient runway remaining to stop the airplane. He reapplied full power, but the airplane impacted the airport perimeter fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the engine was run on the airframe through various power settings without anomaly.
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 excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,407 hours in all; 338 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 25, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 21,393 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 25, 2013; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 8,991 hours total
- Operator: Flight Alaska Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: BET Bethel AK
- Destination: PAPK Napaskiak AK
- Runway 30, 1,858 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from PABE
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.
Other NTSB records under N20109 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.