Cessna 172 accident near Ninilchik, Alaska, April 22, 1997
On April 22, 1997 at about 3:35 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5407R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ninilchik, Alaska (Ninilchik airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain altitude/clearance from a closed runway, while making a low pass, which resulted in an inadvertent touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1997 · about 3:35 am local time
- Place
- Ninilchik, Alaska · Ninilchik · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5407R · registry record · serial 17252946
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot planned to land on a dirt runway at the end of a cross-country flight. When he arrived over the airport, the pilot noticed a large white 'X' (marking) at each end of the runway. He performed a low pass over the runway, and noted the surface contained several ruts. The pilot indicated that during the low pass, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left. He corrected the drift toward the right, and the airplane descended. The main landing gear inadvertently touched down on the soft surface of the runway at an estimated airspeed of 60 MPH. The airplane immediately nosed over. The airport facility directory contained a caution that the runway was extremely soft, when wet, and unusable during spring breakup. Safety areas at both runway ends were soft and rutted.
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: 672 hours in all; 589 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 588 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,022 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 21, 1997; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 9:20 pm
- Destination: NIN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 2,400 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.