Cessna 140 accident near Tok, Alaska, December 26, 1994
On December 26, 1994 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N89870, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tok, Alaska (Tok airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO FLY INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ICING CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 1994 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tok, Alaska · Tok · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N89870 · no longer on the register · serial 8915
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY A GROUND OBSERVER FLYING IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS. THE GROUND OBSERVER LAST SAW THE AIRPLANE TURNING TOWARD THE TOK AIRPORT WITH A 'HIGH ANGLE OF BANK AND SINKING TOWARD THE GROUND.' THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER INTO A SNOW BANK ON THE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED 1/8 INCH OF RIME ICE COVERING ALL THE LEADING EDGES. THE AIRPLANE WEIGHED AN ESTIMATED 156 POUNDS OVER THE CERTIFICATED MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.