What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
12/31/2019 0950L aircraft called fai tower ATC in the blind they crashed 10 s/w of the airport. 2 POB; no injuries. Sar was launched from pafb to rescue pilot and passenger, deliver to pafa.
METAR at pafa 010553Z 36004 8SM ?sn OVC011 M19/M22 A2894.
Description as communicated in interview with airman: ski?equipped aircraft departed 95Z earlier in day with 28 gals of fuel (dip stick) for lake fishing trip apprx. 1 hr flying time. Forecast at departure time was for lowering conditions around midnight.
Departing lake in afternoon, airman encountered airframe icing and returned to lake. While orbiting lake, airman communicated with fai fss on aircraft radio for current weather enroute and forecast. Lower conditions than forecast prevailed. Airman elected to land on lake again and spend the night in cabin, but after breaking trail to cabin discovered roof caved in - didn?t think it would be suitable, and so departed in aircraft with the intention of landing at nenana airport.
Upon reaching nenana, pilot controlled lighting (pcl) was inoperative, and according to airman, runway was unlighted. (Afd indicated airport was manned, and runway lighting was available 24 hrs. NOTAM indicated runway edge lights inoperative with runway end lights and PAPI lights operative. Communication with the nenana airport manager revealed airport was not staffed, runway not maintained, afd was incorrect). Airman elected not to land at unlighted runway (witness saw aircraft circling city center in dark and marginal conditions).
Approximately 10 sm s/w of pafa, with city lights in view, engine quit. Aircraft crashed in partial clearing and flipped on back.
Total flight time was about 3 hours. Aircraft departed origin with trip fuel plus @ 1 hour. Diversion due weather, and inoperative runway lights contributed to fuel exhaustion prior trip completion.
During the accident investigation, the airman confirmed he did not hold a current airman medical certificate of any class as required by CFR §61.23(a)(3), nor had he received a flight review in violation of CFR §61.56(c).
As the FAA filed it
12/31/2019 0950L AIRCRAFT CALLED FAI TOWER ATC IN THE BLIND THEY CRASHED 10 S/W OF THE AIRPORT. 2 POB; NO INJURIES. SAR WAS LAUNCHED FROM PAFB TO RESCUE PILOT AND PASSENGER, DELIVER TO PAFA.
METAR AT PAFA 010553Z 36004 8SM ?SN OVC011 M19/M22 A2894.
DESCRIPTION AS COMMUNICATED IN INTERVIEW WITH AIRMAN: SKI?EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 95Z EARLIER IN DAY WITH 28 GALS OF FUEL (DIP STICK) FOR LAKE FISHING TRIP APPRX. 1 HR FLYING TIME. FORECAST AT DEPARTURE TIME WAS FOR LOWERING CONDITIONS AROUND MIDNIGHT.
DEPARTING LAKE IN AFTERNOON, AIRMAN ENCOUNTERED AIRFRAME ICING AND RETURNED TO LAKE. WHILE ORBITING LAKE, AIRMAN COMMUNICATED WITH FAI FSS ON AIRCRAFT RADIO FOR CURRENT WEATHER ENROUTE AND FORECAST. LOWER CONDITIONS THAN FORECAST PREVAILED. AIRMAN ELECTED TO LAND ON LAKE AGAIN AND SPEND THE NIGHT IN CABIN, BUT AFTER BREAKING TRAIL TO CABIN DISCOVERED ROOF CAVED IN - DIDN?T THINK IT WOULD BE SUITABLE, AND SO DEPARTED IN AIRCRAFT WITH THE INTENTION OF LANDING AT NENANA AIRPORT.
UPON REACHING NENANA, PILOT CONTROLLED LIGHTING (PCL) WAS INOPERATIVE, AND ACCORDING TO AIRMAN, RUNWAY WAS UNLIGHTED. (AFD INDICATED AIRPORT WAS MANNED, AND RUNWAY LIGHTING WAS AVAILABLE 24 HRS. NOTAM INDICATED RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS INOPERATIVE WITH RUNWAY END LIGHTS AND PAPI LIGHTS OPERATIVE. COMMUNICATION WITH THE NENANA AIRPORT MANAGER REVEALED AIRPORT WAS NOT STAFFED, RUNWAY NOT MAINTAINED, AFD WAS INCORRECT). AIRMAN ELECTED NOT TO LAND AT UNLIGHTED RUNWAY (WITNESS SAW AIRCRAFT CIRCLING CITY CENTER IN DARK AND MARGINAL CONDITIONS).
APPROXIMATELY 10 SM S/W OF PAFA, WITH CITY LIGHTS IN VIEW, ENGINE QUIT. AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN PARTIAL CLEARING AND FLIPPED ON BACK.
TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS ABOUT 3 HOURS. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ORIGIN WITH TRIP FUEL PLUS @ 1 HOUR. DIVERSION DUE WEATHER, AND INOPERATIVE RUNWAY LIGHTS CONTRIBUTED TO FUEL EXHAUSTION PRIOR TRIP COMPLETION.
DURING THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, THE AIRMAN CONFIRMED HE DID NOT HOLD A CURRENT AIRMAN MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OF ANY CLASS AS REQUIRED BY CFR §61.23(A)(3), NOR HAD HE RECEIVED A FLIGHT REVIEW IN VIOLATION OF CFR §61.56(C).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.