Cessna 172H N8085L

Summary

On 29 June 2025 at about 01:56 local time, a Cessna 172H registered N8085L was involved in an accident near Manokotak, Alaska, United States. 3 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

29 June 2025 at 01:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Manokotak, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Beach (NONE)

Coordinates

58.8147, -159.4857

Aircraft

Cessna 172H

Registration

N8085L

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dillingham → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC25LA056

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s decision to land on an unsuitable landing surface with a tailwind, which resulted in a nose over. Contributing was the pilot’s failure to recognize the wind direction, resulting in a tailwind landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while landing on a beach, the airplane’s nosewheel dug into the soft sand. The airplane subsequently nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and left wing strut. A witness, who was located about 1 mile west of the accident site, reported that the airplane had landed with a tailwind. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.