Cessna 175 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, July 28, 1992
On July 28, 1992 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N9304B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska. It was a personal 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
FAILURE OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT DUE TO AN OIL PASSAGE HOLE BEING BLOCKED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1992 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N9304B · no longer on the register · serial 55-104
- 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 WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT HE HEARD 3 LOUD BANGS FROM THE ENGINE, THEN IT SEIZED. DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE FOUND THE SLUDGE PLUG DISLODGED, AND THE CRANKSHAFT BROKEN AT THE NO. 3 ROD JOURNAL.
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: 680 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 651 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,378 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 11, 1992; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 1:00 pm
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°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.
Other NTSB records under N9304B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.