Cessna 172 accident near Iliamna, Alaska, January 17, 1988
On January 17, 1988 at about 10:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N9974V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Iliamna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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 17, 1988 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Iliamna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9974V · no longer on the register · serial 17264592
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE IN LOW VISIBILITY WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED A COMPLETE WHITE-OUT CONDITION. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL IN FLIGHT AND CRASHED ON A FROZEN LAKE.
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: 120 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 14, 1988; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,220 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ITG Igiugig AK at 9:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.