- Date
- April 8, 2008, 17:36 local (Apr 9, 2008, 01:36 UTC)
- Place
- Big Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N185ARCessna 185
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080408831869A
- Case key
- 68103
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane prior to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the wheel-ski equipped airplane related that while en route to his home airport, he encountered an area of transient snow showers along his flight path, which required him to fly further north than originally anticipated. He said that as he approached his destination airport, the engine began to lose power, and he selected a snow-covered meadow as a forced landing site. During touchdown, the wheel-skis sank in deep snow, and both main landing gear legs collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted that the reason for the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the wheel-ski equipped airplane related that while en route to his home airport, he encountered an area of transient snow showers along his flight path, which required him to fly further north than originally anticipated. He said that as he approached his destination airport, the engine began to lose power, and he selected a snow-covered meadow as a forced landing site. During touchdown, the wheel-skis sank in deep snow, and both main landing gear legs collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted that the reason for the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N185AR
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1851464
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Anthony Lee
- Registered owner
- Donna Plisga
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ILI · Iliamna, AK
- Destination
- Big Lake, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,917 total · 100 in this make and model · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.