ANC05CA047

Factual narrative

On March 7, 2005, about 1400 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 172B airplane, N7871X, sustained substantial damage during taxi from landing when a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the airplane nosed over at the South Naknek Airport, South Naknek, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Naknek Airport, Naknek, Alaska, about 1355. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 8, the pilot said he landed in a strong crosswind without incident, but as he was turning the airplane around on the runway to back-taxi to parking, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the airplane nosed over. He said there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane, and that the airplane sustained structural damage to the wings and tail. The pilot landed in a strong crosswind without incident, but as he turned the airplane on the runway to back-taxi to parking, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the airplane nosed over, receiving structural damage to the wings and tail. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12