What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The certificated private pilot departed from the frozen surface of a small lake after previously conducting touch and go landings earlier in the day. The airplane climbed to about 100 feet above the ground when the engine suddenly quit. The pilot made a turn back toward the lake and landed along the edge of the lake. The airplane touched down in an area of snow, and the main landing gear was sheared off. The right wing hit a snow bank and was damaged. The pilot reported he returned to the airplane the day after the accident to begin disassembly for transportation. The pilot said he discovered the airplane fuel tanks were empty. He then recalled his last flight before the accident was about 2 months before the accident, and he did not refuel the airplane. (.19)on March 12, 1998, about 2000 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 170B airplane, N4387B, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after takeoff from a frozen lake, about 5 miles north-mortheasr of Palmer, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane WA s registered to and operated by the pilot. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (iic), on March 13, 1999, at 0900, the pilot reported he landed on Wolverine Lake earlier in the day, following about 30 minutes of touch and go landings at the Palmer municipal airport. The pilot said he took off and climbed the airplane to about 100 feet when the engine suddenly quit. He made a turn toward the lake and landed along the edge of the lake. The airplane touched down in an area of snow, and the main landing gear was sheared off. The right wing hit a snow bank and was damaged. (-23)two months earlier airman believed he had topped off his fuel tanks. Prior to flight, the airman did check his fuel caps for security, but did not visually check the fuel tanks for content. After approximately 1 hour of operation, fuel exhaustion occurred. The airman elected to conduct an emergency landing on a snow covered lake. The aircraft was substantially dam aged and no injuries occurred to the sole occupant.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED FROM THE FROZEN SURFACE OF A SMALL LAKE AFTER PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. THE PILOT MADE A TURN BACK TOWARD THE LAKE AND LANDED ALONG THE EDGE OF THE LAKE. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN AN AREA OF SNOW, AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF. THE RIGHT WING HIT A SNOW BANK AND WAS DAMAGED. THE PILOT REPORTED HE RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE THE DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT TO BEGIN DISASSEMBLY FOR TRANSPORTATION. THE PILOT SAID HE DISCOVERED THE AIRPLANE FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. HE THEN RECALLED HIS LAST FLIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT WAS ABOUT 2 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND HE DID NOT REFUEL THE AIRPLANE. (.19)ON MARCH 12, 1998, ABOUT 2000 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 170B AIRPLANE, N4387B, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A FROZEN LAKE, ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH-MORTHEASR OF PALMER, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WA S REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC), ON MARCH 13, 1999, AT 0900, THE PILOT REPORTED HE LANDED ON WOLVERINE LAKE EARLIER IN THE DAY, FOLLOWING ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT THE PALMER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PILOT SAID HE TOOK OFF AND CLIMBED THE AIRPLANE TO ABOUT 100 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. HE MADE A TURN TOWARD THE LAKE AND LANDED ALONG THE EDGE OF THE LAKE. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN AN AREA OF SNOW, AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF. THE RIGHT WING HIT A SNOW BANK AND WAS DAMAGED. (-23)TWO MONTHS EARLIER AIRMAN BELIEVED HE HAD TOPPED OFF HIS FUEL TANKS. PRIOR TO FLIGHT, THE AIRMAN DID CHECK HIS FUEL CAPS FOR SECURITY, BUT DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL TANKS FOR CONTENT. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR OF OPERATION, FUEL EXHAUSTION OCCURRED. THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO CONDUCT AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A SNOW COVERED LAKE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAM AGED AND NO INJURIES OCCURRED TO THE SOLE OCCUPANT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.