- Date
- December 31, 2019, 20:30 local (Jan 1, 2020, 05:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4667CCessna 170
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191231017659A
- Case key
- 100755
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 a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, an emergency off-airport landing, and a nose over.
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, during a night flight, in his tailwheel ski-equipped airplane, weather conditions began to deteriorate, and he elected to navigate to a nearby airport, with an estimated 20-minute fuel reserve upon his arrival. Once at the intended airport, he was unable to activate the runway lights via the pilot-controlled lighting and diverted to an alternate airport approximately 35 miles away. About 10 nautical miles from the alternate airport, the engine lost all power due to fuel exhaustion. Subsequently, he made an emergency landing to an off-airport field. During the emergency landing the ski-equipped airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the empennage. 14 Code of Federal Regulation 91.151 Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions, states in part: (a) No person may begin a flight in an airplane under VFR conditions unless (considering wind and forecast weather conditions) there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed- (1) During the day, to fly after that for at least 30 minutes; or (2) At night, to fly after that for at least 45 minutes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during a night flight, in his tailwheel ski-equipped airplane, weather conditions began to deteriorate, and he elected to navigate to a nearby airport, with an estimated 20-minute fuel reserve upon his arrival. Once at the intended airport, he was unable to activate the runway lights via the pilot-controlled lighting and diverted to an alternate airport approximately 35 miles away. About 10 nautical miles from the alternate airport, the engine lost all power due to fuel exhaustion. Subsequently, he made an emergency landing to an off-airport field. During the emergency landing the ski-equipped airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the empennage. 14 Code of Federal Regulation 91.151 Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions, states in part: (a) No person may begin a flight in an airplane under VFR conditions unless (considering wind and forecast weather conditions) there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed- (1) During the day, to fly after that for at least 30 minutes; or (2) At night, to fly after that for at least 45 minutes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4667C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25611
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 3,966.9
- Engine
- Continental C145-2, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 14, 2018
- Departed
- Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Equipment
- None
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 250 in this make and model · 2,100 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -2 °F, dew point -8 °F
- Altimeter
- 28.94 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.5 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.