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Incident

FAA incident report · Bbavia 7GCBC · Fairbanks, AK · February 4, 1995

Date: February 4, 1995 · 17:50 local
Place: Fairbanks, AK
Airport: Fairbanks International
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N8803
Reported as: Bbavia 7GCBC
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,300 total200 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N8803Registered now · Bellanca 7GCBCS/N 472-73 · Built 1973 Airframe modelBellanca 7GCBC Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: pilot stated that due to unexpected head winds trip was taking much longer to complete than anticipated. Trip originally scheduled to be completed during daylight hours. As pilot approached nenana, approx. 40 s of Fairbanks. It appeared fuel was not feeding from right tank. Pilot elected to make precautionary landing at Fairbanks, rather than proceed farther to bradley sky ranch. As aircraft was on skies he elected to land on ski strip 01 but was unfamiliar with Fairbanks int'l & mistakenly identified taxiway lights as ski strip 01. At this same time he discovered landing light burned out. He realized mistake just as he touched down east of ski strip. No damage to aircraft. Counseled pilot on night flying knowledge and equipment.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: PILOT STATED THAT DUE TO UNEXPECTED HEAD WINDS TRIP WAS TAKING MUCH LONGER TO COMPLETE THAN ANTICIPATED. TRIP ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. AS PILOT APPROACHED NENANA, APPROX. 40 S OF FAIRBANKS. IT APPEARED FUEL WAS NOT FEEDING FROM RIGHT TANK. PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT FAIRBANKS, RATHER THAN PROCEED FARTHER TO BRADLEY SKY RANCH. AS AIRCRAFT WAS ON SKIES HE ELECTED TO LAND ON SKI STRIP 01 BUT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH FAIRBANKS INT'L & MISTAKENLY IDENTIFIED TAXIWAY LIGHTS AS SKI STRIP 01. AT THIS SAME TIME HE DISCOVERED LANDING LIGHT BURNED OUT. HE REALIZED MISTAKE JUST AS HE TOUCHED DOWN EAST OF SKI STRIP. NO DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. COUNSELED PILOT ON NIGHT FLYING KNOWLEDGE AND EQUIPMENT.