Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff in turbulent weather conditions.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that the off-field takeoff from sloping tundra, on top of a mesa, was uneventful. The left wing stalled in turbulent air, as the airplane was building airspeed to climb, and then the left wing struck the ground. The airplane cartwheeled onto the nose and came to rest about 200 yards downslope from the top of the mesa. The left wing, empennage, and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA380 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Aug 7, 2022
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Mccarthy, Alaska
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 172
- N-number
- N171Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1956
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
Other records under this N-number
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.