Aviation Crash Map

Cessna 172K N78108

3 August 1996 · Nikiski, Alaska, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 3 August 1996 at about 04:00 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N78108, operated by Matthew Hightower, was involved in an accident near Nikiski, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 04:00
Classification
Accident
Location
Nikiski, Alaska, United States
Nearest airport
McGann Industrial (L-3A)
Coordinates
Not recorded
Aircraft
Cessna 172K
Registration
N78108
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Matthew Hightower
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Anchorage → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ANC96LA112

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor was the windshear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported the airplane was approximately 50 to 75 feet above the runway, just entering the landing flare, when the airplane suddenly dropped and landed hard. The airplane bounced twice, collapsing the nose gear and the left main landing gear, and then nosed over. The pilot estimated the surface wind as a quartering headwind at 10 to 15 knots. He believes that he had sufficient airspeed prior to the sudden sinking of the airplane, and thinks he may have encountered windshear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 172 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
14 Mar 1996 Cessna 172L
N7668G
Napa, California, United States - No injuries -
22 Mar 1996 Cessna 172N
N75770
New Smyrna Bch, Florida, United States - No injuries -
9 Aug 1996 Cessna 172N
N738PM
Enumclaw, Washington, United States Aeroflight Minor injuries -
7 Oct 1996 Cessna 172C
N1332Y
Mesa, Arizona, United States - No injuries -
14 Jul 1996 Cessna 172
N78149
Frederick, Maryland, United States - No injuries -
19 Jul 1996 Cessna 172M
N9731V
Tremont City, Ohio, United States MAD River Airport, Inc. No injuries -

All 12,209 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
21 Apr 1996 Piper PA-28
N8873J
Wasilla, Alaska, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
13 Apr 1996 Piper PA-11
N4791M
Paxson, Alaska, United States Mark W. Barkdull No injuries -
24 Apr 1996 Piper PA-14
N4229H
Anchorage, Alaska, United States David Calkins No injuries -
27 Apr 1996 Piper PA-18
N2598P
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
27 Apr 1996 Cessna 180H
N91304
Palmer, Alaska, United States Richard Greeno No injuries -
28 Apr 1996 Piper PA-18
N1930A
Kasilof, Alaska, United States Paul G. Isaak No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States