- Date
- May 30, 2014, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8646UCessna 172F
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20140530008929A
- Case key
- 89336
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 inflight planning, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. A factor was the pilot's selection of a low cruise flight altitude, which provided little time for the selection of suitable terrain for the forced landing or for engine restart procedures.
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 stated that, while flying north over a river at 200 feet above ground level, the airplane ran out of fuel in the left tank. The engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing on flat terrain with tussocks and spruce trees. The airplane subsequently struck a stand of spruce trees, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, the fuselage, and other structures. In the pilot's written statement to the NTSB, he reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that, while flying north over a river at 200 feet above ground level, the airplane ran out of fuel in the left tank. The engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing on flat terrain with tussocks and spruce trees. The airplane subsequently struck a stand of spruce trees, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, the fuselage, and other structures. In the pilot's written statement to the NTSB, he reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8646U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17252548
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 3,748
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300 A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 2014
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- PAFA · Fairbanks International Airpor
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 15, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,228 total · 750 in this make and model · 1,176 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 13,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.62 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 30 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 6, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB 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 N8646U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.