What happened
On October 7, 2025, at 14:56 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 172N, registration N80628, was involved in an accident near Petersburg, Alaska. The flight, operated under 14 CFR Part 91, was a training flight involving maneuvers such as steep turns, turns around a point, and emergency procedures.
During the flight, the crew applied carburetor heat due to mist in the area. After rolling out of a left turn into straight and level flight, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. While power was briefly restored, the engine subsequently lost all power.
The crew attempted several recovery actions, including cycling the magnetos, activating the electric fuel pump, verifying the fuel selector was in the BOTH position, and ensuring the mixture was full RICH. When these actions failed to restart the engine, the flight instructor performed a forced landing on a road.
During the landing roll, the aircraft struck a large rock, which partially separated the right main landing gear and caused the airplane to pivot into a ditch. The aircraft came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot and flight instructor were not injured.
Environmental conditions
At the time of the accident, weather reported at Petersburg Airport (PAPG) showed a temperature of 9°C and a dew point of 7°C, resulting in a relative humidity of 87%. According to the FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, these atmospheric conditions were within the range specified for icing in pressure-type carburetors and indicated a risk of serious icing at cruise power settings.