20020507011319I

Incident

FAA incident report · Cessna 172G · Cordova, AK · May 7, 2002

Date: May 7, 2002 · 22:00 local
Place: Cordova, AK
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N4471L
Reported as: Cessna 172G

N4471LRegistration cancelled Oct 23, 2018 · Cessna 172GS/N 17254566 Airframe modelCessna 172G Engine modelContinental 0-300 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.

(-23) Report received from regional operations center that jnu afss had reported an aircraft that ran out of fuel and landed on the beach about 30 miles east of Cordova. Investigation revealed that the flight departed juneau, Alaska on a VFR flight to Cordova, Alaska at about 5:45 pm Alaska daylight time. After almost four hours of flying time the pilot did not have the airport in sight and was not sure exactly how FAR he was from the airport. When fuel level became critical, the pilot elected to make a precautionary landing on the beach. There was no damage to the aircraft. The pilot spent the night on the beach and fuel was flown out to him the next morning by a commercial operator from Cordova. The aircraft was fueled up in Cordova and continued on to dillingham, Alaska without further incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) REPORT RECEIVED FROM REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER THAT JNU AFSS HAD REPORTED AN AIRCRAFT THAT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED ON THE BEACH ABOUT 30 MILES EAST OF CORDOVA. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FLIGHT DEPARTED JUNEAU, ALASKA ON A VFR FLIGHT TO CORDOVA, ALASKA AT ABOUT 5:45 PM ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME. AFTER ALMOST FOUR HOURS OF FLYING TIME THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT AND WAS NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW FAR HE WAS FROM THE AIRPORT. WHEN FUEL LEVEL BECAME CRITICAL, THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON THE BEACH. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SPENT THE NIGHT ON THE BEACH AND FUEL WAS FLOWN OUT TO HIM THE NEXT MORNING BY A COMMERCIAL OPERATOR FROM CORDOVA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED UP IN CORDOVA AND CONTINUED ON TO DILLINGHAM, ALASKA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.