Cessna 172N accident near Manley Hot Springs, Alaska, March 29, 2025
On March 29, 2025 at about 5:10 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172N, registered N733KV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Manley Hot Springs, Alaska (Manley Hot Springs airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll on a snow and ice-covered runway, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 2025 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Manley Hot Springs, Alaska · Manley Hot Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1976 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N733KV · registry record · serial 17268360
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during the landing roll on a snow and ice-covered runway, he lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, nosed over, and came to rest inverted which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway/landing area condition › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 78 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,667.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 2025; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 2,060 hours total
- Operator: Proflite Of Alaska, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: MLY Manley Hot Springs AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18/3, 3,400 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -8°F (-22°C), dew point -15°F (-26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 am from PATA, 38 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PATA 291652Z 00000KT 10SM CLR M22/M26 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP235 T12221256 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 13, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.