Cessna 172 accident near Shirleyville, Alaska, September 19, 1985
On September 19, 1985 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6951A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shirleyville, Alaska. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 1985 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Shirleyville, Alaska · 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
- N6951A · registry record · serial 29051
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT NOSED OVER FOLLOWING A LOSS ON CONTROL WHILE LANDING ON A GRAVEL ROAD. THE PLT REPORTED THAT AFTER A 100 FT LANDING ROLL, THE RIGHT WING CAUGHT BRUSH ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ACFT VEERED RIGHT AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR CONTACTED A LOG RESULTING IN THE NOSE OVER.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 187 hours in all; 19 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,597 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 24, 1984; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Chilichanta Riv AK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Shirleyville AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.