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ANC25LA056

2025-06-28 · Manokotak, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport NONE

Current FAA registration · N8085L

Make / Model
CESSNA 172H
Year of manufacture
1967 · 58 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR 0-300 SER (145 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19670930
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB02A7

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

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.

Factual 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Effect on operation
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-Soft surface-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_ANC25LA056.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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