Cessna 172 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, September 1, 2016
On September 1, 2016 at about 9:12 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna 172, registered N52950, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). It was an instructional 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 airplane’s encounter with a developing sink hole during taxi on the ramp area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2016 · about 9:12 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 P, built 1981 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N52950 · registry record · serial 17274642
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that during taxi the airplane started to lean to the right, so he looked out of his window to see if the right tire was flat. He further reported that "the ramp was opening up into a 2 foot wide dark black hole" underneath the right main landing gear. The flight instructor and student pilot egressed from the airplane without further incident. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the empennage. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Photographs provided by Federal Aviation Administration showed that the right main landing gear had broken through the pavement into a sink hole underneath.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 967 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 1, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 10 hours in all; 10 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 19, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Land And Sea Aviation Alaska
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; a few clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from PAMR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 12, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.