- Date
- October 7, 2012, 18:30 local (Oct 8, 2012, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Buckland, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8808Cessna 172D
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20121007023369A
- Case key
- 85314
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 loss of airplane control during takeoff from an off-airport site, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.
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 reported that he was departing from a soft, off-airport site, and just after takeoff, the airplane settled back to the runway. During the touchdown, the left wheel hit a soft spot, and the airplane veered to the left and into a creek bed where it collided with terrain. Upon exiting the airplane, the pilot noticed flames in the engine compartment. Unable to extinguish the flames, the airplane was consumed by a postcrash fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was departing from a soft, off-airport site, and just after takeoff, the airplane settled back to the runway. During the touchdown, the left wheel hit a soft spot, and the airplane veered to the left and into a creek bed where it collided with terrain. Upon exiting the airplane, the pilot noticed flames in the engine compartment. Unable to extinguish the flames, the airplane was consumed by a postcrash fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8808
- Reported as
- Cessna 172D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17249569
- Airframe hours
- 4,940
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald Fairbanks
- Registered owner
- Fairbanks Mark J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 5, 2012
- Departed
- Buckland, AK
- Destination
- Buckland, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 15, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 668 total · 668 in this make and model · 623 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.