Cessna 172 accident near Bethel, Alaska, January 10, 1999
On January 10, 1999 at about 5:51 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8373L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bethel, Alaska (Bethel 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's attempted flight into adverse weather. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions, icing conditions, and an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 1999 · about 5:51 pm local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · Bethel · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8373L · registry record · serial 17256573
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot departed the accident airport under a special VFR clearance. The pilot reported that shortly after a northeasterly departure, severe icing conditions were encountered, and she elected to return to the Bethel airport. She said that forward visibility was restricted due to heavy ice build-up on the airplane's windscreen, requiring her to do a series of 'S' turns to find the airport. She reported that just prior to touchdown, the airplane stalled above the runway threshold, and landed hard in a nose low attitude. She stated, in part: 'I just got into icing conditions. That's what caused it.' The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and fuselage. In her written statement to the NTSB, the pilot noted that her predeparture weather information was obtained from the Bethel automatic terminal information service (ATIS), and the recorded automated weather observation system (AWOS) message close to her intended destination.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 319 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,649 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1998; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 6,398 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from PAB
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.