Cessna 172 accident near Willow, Alaska, January 9, 1988
On January 9, 1988 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8439X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Willow, Alaska (Willow airport). It was a personal 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 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
- January 9, 1988 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Willow, Alaska · Willow · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8439X · registry record · serial 17248939
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT IMMEDIATELY UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE STARTED SINKING IN (TWO FEET) DEEP SNOW, AND CAME TO A STOP IN ABOUT 50 FEET. THE LEFT WING AND PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PLT HAD OVERFLOWN THE ARPT AND SAW THE SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT ABOUT MID-FIELD. HE DECIDED TO LAND SHORT OF THEM. UNFORTUNATELY HE CHOSE THE UNPLOWED END OF THE RWY.
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: 115 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 24, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E20 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z15 Birchwood AK at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,100 ft by 105 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.