Cessna 172 accident near Kasigluk, Alaska, May 1, 1993
On May 1, 1993 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6332D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kasigluk, Alaska (Kasigluk airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S POOR JUDGEMENT IN ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FROM A NARROW, WET, SOFT GRAVEL RUNWAY WITH A CROSSWIND. THE RUNWAY CONDITIONS AND THE CROSSWIND WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 1993 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Kasigluk, Alaska · Kasigluk · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6332D · registry record · serial 17272720
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS USING ONLY THE LEFT SIDE OF THE GRAVEL RUNWAY FOR TAKEOFF BECAUSE IT '...WAS IN A LITTLE BETTER CONDITION' THAN THE RIGHT HALF OF THE RUNWAY WHICH WAS VERY WET AND SOFT FROM THE MELTING WINTER SNOW. DUE TO WET SPOTS ON THE LEFT SIDE, SOME OF THE LEFT EDGE CONE MARKERS HAD BEEN MOVED IN TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY, MAKING THE TAKEOFF AREA EVEN NARROWER. DURING LIFTOFF THE AIRPLANE WEATHERVANED DUE TO A CROSSWIND, AND THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER & ELEVATOR COLLIDED WITH ONE OF THE 3-FT HIGH RUNWAY EDGE RUBBER CONE MARKERS. THE RUNWAY HAD BEEN REOPENED 4/27 AFTER HAVING BEEN CLOSED FOR 10 DAYS BECAUSE OF THE MELTING SNOW.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z09 at 5:15 pm
- Destination: BET Bethel AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 2,100 ft by 35 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°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.
Other NTSB records under N6332D 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.