Cessna 172N accident near Juneau, Alaska, March 18, 1990
On March 18, 1990 at about 5:02 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N1220F, was destroyed in an accident near Juneau, Alaska (Juneau airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT DID NOT MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AND DID NOT ADEQUATELY CORRECT THE SITUATION PRIOR TO COLLIDING WITH AN OBJECT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 1990 · about 5:02 pm local time
- Place
- Juneau, Alaska · Juneau
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N1220F · no longer on the register · serial 17272975
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT A NORMAL PREFLIGHT WAS PERFORMED WITH NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED. JUST AFTER LIFT OFF, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND AILERON CONTROL, HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT AND COLLIDED INTO A BARGE THAT WAS MOORED IN A WATERWAY THAT PARALLELS THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE SANK IN 35 FEET OF WATER. AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS RETRIEVED, AND A POST CRASH INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED, THERE WERE NO NOTED MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 8,456 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; scat at 300 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:10 pm from JNU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.