20200206000299A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172F · Lake George, AK · February 6, 2020

Date: February 6, 2020 · 12:30 local
Place: Lake George, AK
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N817PS
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC20CA018
Reported as: Cessna 172F
Reported engine: Continental 0-300 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 716 total150 in this make and model87 in the last 90 days

N817PSRegistered now · Cessna 172FS/N 17252705 · Built 1965 Airframe modelCessna 172F 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.

On 02/06/2020 at 1130 local the aircraft departed merrill field to overfly knix glacier with the pilot, and the pilot's wife's uncle and cousin.

The aircraft overflew knix glacier and then proceeded to Lake George. The pilot saw an area on the ice that he thought was a suitable landing zone. He descended down low and flew over to get a better look. The pilot came back around of another low pass and the aircraft descended too low. The pilot applied full power but it was too late the aircrafts main tires contacted the snow which was about 2 feet deep and the aircraft nosed over onto the left wing and propeller as it came to an immediate stop. The pilot and family members were not injured.

The pilot activated his garmin in-reach GPS device and they were airlifted from the remote site by a search and rescue helicopter about 1.5 hours later.

As the FAA filed it

ON 02/06/2020 AT 1130 LOCAL THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MERRILL FIELD TO OVERFLY KNIX GLACIER WITH THE PILOT, AND THE PILOT'S WIFE'S UNCLE AND COUSIN.

THE AIRCRAFT OVERFLEW KNIX GLACIER AND THEN PROCEEDED TO LAKE GEORGE. THE PILOT SAW AN AREA ON THE ICE THAT HE THOUGHT WAS A SUITABLE LANDING ZONE. HE DESCENDED DOWN LOW AND FLEW OVER TO GET A BETTER LOOK. THE PILOT CAME BACK AROUND OF ANOTHER LOW PASS AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TOO LOW. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER BUT IT WAS TOO LATE THE AIRCRAFTS MAIN TIRES CONTACTED THE SNOW WHICH WAS ABOUT 2 FEET DEEP AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER ONTO THE LEFT WING AND PROPELLER AS IT CAME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. THE PILOT AND FAMILY MEMBERS WERE NOT INJURED.

THE PILOT ACTIVATED HIS GARMIN IN-REACH GPS DEVICE AND THEY WERE AIRLIFTED FROM THE REMOTE SITE BY A SEARCH AND RESCUE HELICOPTER ABOUT 1.5 HOURS LATER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC20CA018Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportPalmer, AKThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from snow-covered terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.Feb 6, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N817PS · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19791104056682IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Ellensburg, WAAfter landing, yet still on runway,aircraft was struck by N13724 taxiing onto runway without checking traffic.Nov 4, 1979 · Minor damage