Cessna 172 accident near Twin Hills, Alaska, July 23, 1992
On July 23, 1992 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5339H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Twin Hills, Alaska (Twin Hills airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND NOT FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURES OUTLINED IN THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1992 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Twin Hills, Alaska · Twin Hills · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5339H · registry record · serial 17265407
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT NOTICED THAT AT LIFTOFF THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL. HE LOOKED AT THE FLAP INDICATOR AND NOTICED HE HAD SELECTED FULL FLAPS. HE ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT SOME OF THE FLAPS AND ACCIDENTLY SELECTED FULL UP. THE AIRPLANE HIT THE TUNDRA AND CAME TO A STOP. ACCORDING TO THE CESSNA 172 PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, THE USE OF TEN DEGREES OF FLAPS IS RESERVED FOR TAKEOFFS FROM SOFT OR ROUGH FIELDS. IT FURTHER STATES THAT THE FLAPS SHOULD NOT BE RETRACTED DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,127 hours in all; 453 in this make and model; 169 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 980 as pilot in command; 510 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,239 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 16, 1992; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Yute Air Alaska, INC
The flight
- Destination: DLG Dillingham AK
- Runway 1, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.