- Date
- February 15, 1990, 17:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4305LCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900215002979A
- Case key
- 5338
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Water (or ice) contamination of the aircraft's fuel, and an inadequate preflight by the pilot. A factor related to the accident was: snow covered terrain in the emergency landing area.
Analysis
Rprtdly, the acft had been parked for 3 to 4 months with the fuel tanks empty. When it was subsequently flown, the eng began running rough & would not sustain flt. During an emergency landing in deep snow, the acft was damaged. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found, but about one ounce of water was found in the gascolator. A mechanic noted that at some time before the flt, he attempted to drain the fuel sumps, but they would not drain (as though frozen).
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4305L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-54374
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Glynn E. Behrend
- Registered owner
- Glynn E Behrend
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ENN · Nenana, AK
- Destination
- North Pole, 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 633 total · 580 in this make and model · 614 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N4305L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.