# Accident 19990817044289A: Cessna 182Q, Fairbanks, AK, August 17, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 17, 1999, 14:17 local time - Place: Fairbanks, AK - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 64.9009° N, 148.1601° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.9009&lon=-148.1601&mi=10 - Aircraft: N25ZZ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N25ZZ) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 182Q (registry code 2072732, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182q) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182Q - Reported engine: CONT O470U - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 4,200 total, 175 in this make and model, 116 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA120) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990817044289A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) DURING DESCENT ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND EXPERIENCED GRADUAL POWER LOSS. PILOT APPLIED CARB HEAT, WENT THROUGH CHECK LIST, ENGINE CLEARED SPORADICALLY, BUT CONTINUED LOSING POWER. A/C COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CLEARING. WHEN NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED, A/C FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN. (.4) THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, AND THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER OF THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ON A CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST FUELED THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. BEFORE DEPARTURE ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT SAID A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION FOUND NO WATER IN THE FUEL. HE ESTIMATED HE HAD ABOUT 50 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE DISTANCE FROM THE POINT OF DEPARTURE, TO THE ACCIDENT SITE IS ABOUT 230 NAUTICAL MILES. WHILE IN A SLOW DESCENT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE POWER. THE PILOT ADJUSTED THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL, AND THE MIXTURE CONTROL, BUT THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS INTENSIFIED. ABOUT 1,200 FEET, THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. THE PILOT SELECTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AREA IN SOFT, TUNDRA-COVERED TERRAIN. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE GEAR WAS SHEARED OF F, AND THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, LEFT WING, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND THE RUDDER. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THE ODOR OF FUEL PERMEATED THE AIR, AND HE NOTICED FUEL SQUIRTING FROM THE FUEL TANK AIR VENT TUBE. ABOUT TWO HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AN ALASKA STATE TROOPER ARRIVED TO THE SCENE BY HELICOPTER TO PICK UP THE PILOT AND PASSENGER. THE TROOPER REPORTED HE DID NOT SEE OR SMELL THE ODOR OF FUEL. THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS RETRIEVED BY A HELICOPTER COMPANY, TWO DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. DURING THE RECOVERY, THE WINGS AND ENGINE WERE REMOVED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE CREW DID NOT NOTICE ANY FUEL IN THE WING FUEL TANKS. THEY DID FIND FUEL IN THE LINES BETWEEN THE TANKS, THE FUEL STRAINER, AND AN ENGINE FUEL LINE. THREE DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE. THE INSPECTORS NOTED THAT NO FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL TANK SCREENS WERE UNOBSTRUCTED. A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL STRAINER. ACTIVATION OF THE ENGINE FUEL PRIMER PRODUCED FUEL FROM THE PRIMER LINE. THE CARBURETOR INLET FUEL SCREEN WAS REMOVED, AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS FOUND. THE SCREEN WAS CLEAN AND UNOBSTRUCTED. THE CARBURETOR BOWLWAS ABOUT 1/4 FULL OF FUEL. ACTIVATION OF THE THROTTLE ARM PRODUCED FUEL FROM THE ACCELERATOR PUMP NOZZLE. HAND ROTATION OF THE ENGINE CONFIRMED VALVE ACTION, AND SPARK FROM THE SPARK PLUG LEADS. (.19) ON AUGUST 17, 1999, ABOUT 1417 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 182Q AIRPLANE, N25ZZ, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, AT LATITUDE 64 DEGREES, 42.65 MINUTES NORTH, AND LONGITUDE 147 DEGREES, 46.36 MINUTES WEST. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO THE PASSENGER, AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, AND THE SOLE PASSENGER, WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE ANCHORAGE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, ABOUT 1200. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN CHARGE (IIC), ON AUGUST 19, 1999, THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD THE PASSENGER WERE TRAVELING THROUGHOUT ALASKA. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST FUELED IN YA KUTAT, ALASKA, THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT THEN FLEW TO ANCHORAGE AND SPENT THE NIGHT. BEOFRE DEPARTURE ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT SAID A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION FOUND NO WATER IN FUEL. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT INTENDED TO LAND AT NORHT POLE, ALASKA, FOR FUEL, AND WAS SLOWLY DESCENDING FROM 5,500 FEET. ABOUT 3,500 FEET, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE POWER. THE PILOT ADJUSTED THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL, AND THE MIXTURE CONTROL, BUT THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS INTENSIFIED. ABOUT 1,200 FEET, THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. THE PILOT SELECTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AREA IN SOFT, TUNDRA COVERED TERRAIN. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE AIRPLANES NOSE GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF, AND THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED DAMGE TO THE PROPELLER, LEFT WING, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND THE RUDDER. ## 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 ANC99LA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA120), Aug 17, 1999: Cessna 182Q (N25ZZ), Fairbanks, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. A factor was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing. 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.