# NTSB ANC00FA110: Cessna 172G, N4411L, Juneau, AK, August 31, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: August 31, 2000, 05:05 local (13:05 UTC) - Place: Juneau, AK - Coordinates: 58.579139, -134.769485 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=58.5791&lon=-134.7695&mi=10 - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report July 10, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 50171 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC00FA110 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50171/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC00FA110 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadvertent stall/mush. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of certification. ## Analysis The pilot/owner of an airplane was departing an airport in the early morning hours. The airport has one runway with a 08/026 degree orientation. The airport tower was closed, but traffic advisories were provided by a flight service station (FSS). FSS personnel cannot see the runway. The pilot contacted the FSS by radio and advised he was departing runway 10. The FSS specialist replied that there was no runway 10, and then provided an airport advisory. Airport field maintenance personnel monitored the radio conversations between the FSS and the pilot, and observed the airplane depart on runway 08. The airplane appeared to climb to about 400 feet above the ground in a nose high attitude. The airplane then began to roll to the left and right, and then descended sharply to the left, toward the left (north) side of the runway. The airplane pulled up slightly while still turning to the left. It collided with the top 4 feet of a 30 feet high spruce tree, next to a creek between taxiway A, and a service road located along the north side of the taxiway. The airplane then collided with the south side of a hangar about 20 feet above the ground, and fell onto the hangar apron. The pilot's private pilot certificate was revoked on March 29, 1991. The pilot's medical certificate was expired. The airplane had a current annual inspection, but the airplane had not been flown in about three years. During the accident investigation, no preimpact mechanical malfunction of the airplane was observed. A postmortem toxicological examination of the pilot's blood, conducted by state medical examiner, revealed the presence of 0.044 gm/dl of ethanol in blood. A toxicological examination of fluid and tissue samples, harvested by the medical examiner, were examined at the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI), was negative for ethanol or drugs in the urine. Additional testing of samples retained by CAMI were also negative for ethanol. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 31, 2000, about 0505 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 172G airplane, N4411L, was destroyed after colliding with an aircraft hangar at the Juneau International Airport, Juneau, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The pilot received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) personnel at the Juneau Airport reported that the pilot contacted the Juneau AFSS on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), and stated: "Juneau Radio, Cessna 4411L is taxiing to runway 10 for departure." The AFSS specialist replied that there was no runway 10 at Juneau, and then provided an airport advisory that included a report of calm winds, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inHg. The specialist then provided runway and taxiway closure information that affected the west end of the airport. The pilot replied "roger, Cessna 11L." The specialist then advised Juneau airport field maintenance personnel of the departing airplane on what the specialist said he believed to be runway 08. Juneau Airport field maintenance personnel monitored the radio conversations between the AFSS and the pilot, and observed the airplane depart on runway 08 from taxiway B. According to the maintenance personnel, the airplane appeared to climb to about 400 feet above the ground in a nose high attitude. The airplane then began to roll to the left and right, and then descended sharply to the left, toward the left (north) side of the runway. The airplane pulled up slightly while still turning to the left. It collided with the top 4 feet of a 30 feet high spruce tree, next to a creek between taxiway A, and a service road located along the north side of the taxiway. The airplane then collided with the south side of a hangar about 20 feet above the ground, and fell onto the hangar apron. OTHER DAMAGE The airplane struck the side of a metal hangar. The hangar is owned by Silver Bay Logging Inc., 8429 Livingston Way, Juneau. PERSONNEL INFORMATION According to airmen FAA records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City, the pilot applied for a private pilot certificate on February 27, 1975. He was issued a notice of disapproval after failing the entire flight portion of the exam. After additional training, the pilot was issued a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, on March 4, 1975. On December 3, 1989, the pilot was involved in an airplane accident in Kent, Washington. As a result of the accident, the FAA required that the pilot undergo a reexamination of his pilot proficiency with an FAA inspector, on March 16, 1990. The pilot failed the reexamination. The pilot voluntarily surrendered his pilot certificate to the FAA, pending his rescheduling of another pilot proficiency examination. His certificate was returned to him on August 30, 1990, but he was still required to complete the second reexamination. The pilot failed to reschedule a reexamination. On January 2, 1991, the pilot was involved in an aviation incident with a Cessna 180 floatplane in Renton, Washington. While taxiing, the right float submerged and the airplane sank. On January 10, 1991, the FAA issued an emergency notice of suspension for the pilot's certificate, and the pilot surrendered his pilot certificate the following day. The pilot scheduled a pilot proficiency examination with an FAA inspector on January 29, 1991, but the pilot failed the examination. The pilot was issued a temporary airman certificate, valid for 30 days, with the limitation that the certificate was valid only for dual instructional flights, and flight checks conducted by an FAA inspector. On February 26, 1991, the FAA issued a notice of proposed certificate action, planning to revoke the pilot's certificate. On March 29, 1991, the FAA issued a notice of revocation of the pilot's certificate. The most recent third-class medical certificate issued to the pilot, was on November 12, 1992, and contained the limitation that the pilot must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision. A third-class medical certificate is valid for 24 months. No personal flight records were located for the pilot and the aeronautical experience listed on page 3 of this report was obtained from a review of the airmen FAA records. On the pilot's application for medical certificate, dated November 12, 1992, the pilot indicated that his total aeronautical experience consisted of 480 hours, of which 4.4 hours were accrued in the previous 6 months. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION No maintenance records were located for the airplane. The airplane had been inspected for the last two years by Wingnut Aviation, Juneau. Maintenance personnel at Wingnut Aviation reported the airplane had previously been in Gustavus, Alaska, and the pilot flew the airplane to Juneau about 3 years before the accident. The airplane had been tied down on the Juneau airport ramp since that time. The pilot told the maintenance personnel that the original logbooks were lost. The pilot produced copies of logbook pages and maintenance work orders that had historical records referenced to the recording hour meter (tach) within the RPM gauge. The records produced by the pilot contained the following data: March 6, 1987 - Annual inspection, tach time, 1375.5. March 24, 1987 - Installation of a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the use of automotive gasoline. April 22, 1988 - Annual inspection, tach time, 1577. November 30, 1988 - Replacement of the carburetor heat cable, tach time, 1627. September 25, 1989 - Annual inspection, tach time, 1719.0. Wingnut Aviation personnel regenerated an engine logbook, and completed an annual inspection of the airplane on February 10, 1999. At that time, the tach time was 1906, and the engine time was estimated at 1,000 hours since a major overhaul. The mechanic documented that the engine time was within 100 hours, plus or minus, of the actual time. The most recent annual inspection was accomplished on April 22, 2000, when the tach meter was indicating 1907.2. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 0453, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) at Juneau was reporting, in part: Wind, calm; visibility, 5 statute miles in mist; clouds and sky condition, few at 300 feet, 7,000 feet scattered; temperature, 44 degrees F; dew point, 44 degrees F; altimeter, 30.02 inHg. Remarks, thick bank of stratus clouds, Witnesses reported that an area of fog was visible toward the east end of the airport, but the runway environment, where the accident occurred, was clear. COMMUNICATIONS The FAA provided a tape recording of the radio communications between the pilot and the Juneau AFSS facility. In addition, the AFSS specialist provided a written statement about communications with the pilot. The recording of the communications between the pilot and the Juneau AFSS contained the initial radio contact where the pilot said he was departing runway 10. It did not contain additional conversations mentioned in the specialists written statement. The written statement provided by the specialist states, in part: "Approximately one minute later (after the first radio contact) N4411L stated again that he was entering runway 10 for departure at intersection Bravo. I again reiterated that there was no runway 10, and that there was only runway 08 and 26 here at Juneau. I then proceeded to verify that he wanted to depart runway 08 to the east. N4411L acknowledged by double clicking the microphone." A copy of the communications tape recording is included in this report. AERODROME AND GROUND FACILITIES The Juneau International Airport is equipped with a single hard-surfaced runway on a 08 ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4411L](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4411L-2001-02-06), registration cancelled 2001-02-06, S/N 17254496 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172G - Registry model: [Cessna 172G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172g) (registry code 2072420) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17254496 - Airframe hours: 1907 - Engines: Continental O-300-D 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Anton T. Bowers - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 22, 2000, 1 hours before - Departed: PAJN - Destination: UNKNOWN - Airport: PAJN, Juneau International, runway 8, 8,456 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 69; medical: class 3, expired; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 480 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn - Wind: calm - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: PAJ ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000831042439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000831042439A), Aug 31, 2000: Cessna 172G, Juneau, AK, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) Cessna 172 N4411L departed runway 08 at Juneau International Airport at 0505 adt with pilot and sole occupant anton t. bowers. Immediately after lift off… ## Other investigations on N4411L (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 DEN69F0167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN69F0167), Dec 25, 1968: Cessna 172 (N4411L), Denver, CO, substantial damage 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. --- 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.