Cessna R172K accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, August 12, 2022
On August 12, 2022 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1977 Cessna R172K, registered N736KP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks International Airpor airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2022 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks International Airpor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K, built 1977 · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N736KP · registry record · serial R1722590
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that she purchased the airplane in July 2021 and had not flown it recently. The purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane for an annual inspection. She reported that the night before the accident she spent two hours “chair flying” in preparation for the flight. The next day she departed from the local airport and completed one stop-and-go landing, which was completed without incident. She then departed and flew to the destination airport and intended to land on the gravel strip. During the landing flare, the airplane “ballooned slightly” and the airplane landed beyond the intended landing point. Upon touchdown, she pushed the yoke forward and applied brakes, then the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Recent experience › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: military, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,602 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,339 as pilot in command; 191 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,384 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-360KC/STC1 (piston); 1,384 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 95Z North Pole AK at 1:35 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 2,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PAFA, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAFA 120153Z 08003KT 10SM FEW070 BKN200 23/05 A2988 RMK AO2 SLP124 T02280050
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 11, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC22LA065.