# Accident 19990110004629A: Cessna 172P, Bethel, AK, January 10, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 10, 1999, 13:51 local time - Place: Bethel, AK - Airport: Bethel - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 60.8104° N, 161.8493° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.8104&lon=-161.8493&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8373L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8373L) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172I (registry code 2072426, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172i) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P - Reported engine: LYC O320E2D - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 450 total, 300 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA022) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990110004629A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON JANUARY 10, 1999, ABOUT 1351 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 172 AIRPLANE, N8373L, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING AT THE BETHEL AIRPORT, BETHEL, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) LOCAL AREA FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE SOLO PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE BETHEL AIRPORT, ABOUT 1340. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON JANUARY 10, THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE HAD DEPARTED THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT UNDER A SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER A NORTHEASTERLY DEPARTURE, SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED, AND SHE ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE BETHEL AIRPORT. SHE SAID THAT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED DUE TO HEAVY ICE BUILD-UP ON THE AIRPLANE'S WINDSCREEN, REQUIRING HER TO TO DO A SERIES OF "S" TURNS TO FIND THE AIRPORT. SHE REPORTED THAT JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE STALLED ABOVE THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. SHE STATED, IN PART: "I JUST GOT INTO ICING CONDITIONS.THAT'S WHAT CAUSED IT." THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, AND FUSELAGE. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE CLOSEST WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION IS LOCATED IN BETHEL. ON JANUARY 10, AT 1353, AN AVIATION ROUTINE WEATHER REPORT (METAR) WAS REPORTING IN PART: WIND, 060 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 2 STATUTE MILES IN LIGHT SNOW AND MIST; CLOUDS, 600 FEET BROKEN, 1,700 FEET OVERCAST; TEMPERTURE, 6 DEGREES F; DEW POINT, 3 DEGREES F; ALTIMETER, 29.99 INHG; REMARKS, CEILING VARIABLE BETWEEN 500 FEET AND 1,000 FEET. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED BETHEL AIRPORT AND ENCOUNTERED ICING CONDITIONS. FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO ICE ON THE AIRCRAFT WINDSCREEN. THE FLIGHT WAS RETURNED TO BETHEL WHERE THE PILOT LANDED HARD ON THE NOSE WHEEL, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT UNDER A SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER A NORTHEASTERLY DEPARTURE, SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED, AND SHE ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE BETHEL AIRPORT. SHE SAID THAT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED DUE TO HEAVY ICE BUILD-UP ON THE AIRPLANE'S WINDSCREEN, REQUIRING HER TO DO A SERIES OF 'S' TURNS TO FIND THE AIRPORT. SHE REPORTED THAT JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE STALLED ABOVE THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, AND LANDED HARD IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. SHE STATED, IN PART: 'I JUST GOT INTO ICING CONDITIONS. THAT'S WHAT CAUSED IT.' THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, AND FUSELAGE. IN HER WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE NTSB, THE PILOT NOTED THAT HER PREDEPARTURE WEATHER INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THE BETHEL AUTOMATIC TERMINAL INFORMATION SERVICE (ATIS), AND THE RECORDED AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SYSTEM (AWOS) MESSAGE CLOSE TO HER INTENDED DESTINATION. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC99LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA022), Jan 10, 1999: Cessna 172 (N8373L), Bethel, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's attempted flight into adverse weather. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions, icing conditions, and an inadvertent stall. ## Other reports on N8373L (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19930908050159I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930908050159I), Sep 8, 1993: Cessna 172I (N8373L), Bethel, AK. Student experienced radio control problems. Made several attempts to land. Landed safely. Not endorsed for 172. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.