Cessna R172K accident near Anchorage, Alaska, August 12, 1989
On August 12, 1989 at about 4:02 pm local time, a Cessna R172K, registered N1211V, was destroyed in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
UNDETERMINED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1989 · about 4:02 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N1211V · no longer on the register · serial R1722141
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS DEPARTED MERRILL FIELD, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, ON AUGUST 12, 1989, AT 0802 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME (A.D.T.), FOR A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. THEIR DESTINATION AND ROUTE IS UNKNOWN, AS NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. FAMILY MEMBERS BELIEVE THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN GOING TO AN AREA IN CHICKALOON PASS, LOCATED ABOUT 100 MILES NORTHEAST OF ANCHORAGE. AFTER BEING REPORTED OVERDUE BY FAMILY MEMBERS, AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH FAILED TO LOCATE ANY TRACE OF THE AIRPLANE OR ITS OCCUPANTS. ON AUGUST 17, 1990, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED 100 MILES NORTHEAST OF ANCHORAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND GROUND FIRE. THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED.
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: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-K1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 11:00 am
- Destination: Caribou Creek AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.