- Date
- June 3, 2012, 09:09 local (17:09 UTC)
- Place
- Chugiak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N207CWWalls Craig C Snowyriver Special
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120603015489A
- Case key
- 83934
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 improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power during descent.
Findings · 2
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 departed with an estimated 5 gallons of fuel, and had begun his descent to his destination airport when the engine lost all power. He established best glide speed and made a forced landing to an open stretch of road. The airplane touched down hard, spun 180 degrees, and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that there was very little fuel found in the fuel tanks during recovery of the wreckage and that he believes he may have run out of fuel.
Factual narrative
The private pilot departed with an estimated 5 gallons of fuel, and had begun his descent to his destination airport, when all engine power was lost. He established best glide speed, and made a forced landing to an open stretch of road. The airplane touchdown hard, spun 180 degrees, and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board, investigator-in-charge on June 15, the pilot stated there was very little fuel found in the fuel tanks during recovery of the wreckage, and he believes he may have run out of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N207CW
- Reported as
- Walls Craig C Snowyriver Special
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Airframe hours
- 81
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 13, 2011
- Departed
- PAMR · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- BCV · Birchwood, 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 26, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 194 total · 81 in this make and model · 31 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PABV, 2 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 709 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N207CW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.