Cessna 172 N2357U

Summary

On 2 August 2008 at about 00:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N2357U, operated by Carl A. Dirkers, was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, United States. 2 people were 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.

Date

2 August 2008 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Merrill Field (PAMR)

Coordinates

61.2136, -149.8445

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N2357U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Carl A. Dirkers

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Homer → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC08LA094

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare/touchdown, which resulted in a runway excursion and collapse of the nose gear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing on runway 25, and indicated that just as the main landing gear tires touched down, the airplane was struck by a strong wind from the right. The pilot attempted to correct for the wind, and added engine power, but the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The nose gear collapsed when it encountered soft terrain along the side of the runway, which spun the airplane around about 180 degrees. The wind conditions were reported as 280 degrees (true) at 11 knots. In the "Recommendation" (How could this accident have been prevented) section of the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, the pilot noted he could have utilized "Better use of aileron and rudder for directional control."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.