- Date
- September 30, 1990, 05:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6523HCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900930043419A
- Case key
- 5446
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 poor judgement due to consumption of alcohol, and his improper planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate supply of fuel.
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.
Analysis
The airplane was taken without permission by the pilot from a flying school at the local airport. It was observed flying low over the downtown area of Anchorage at an estimated altitude of 10 to 40 ft AGL. The pilot reported the aircraft ran out of fuel & crashed in a wooded area. A check of the pilot's blood showed an alcohol level 219 mg/dl (0.219%).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6523H
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265473
- Airframe hours
- 2,420
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Louis Pickens
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 29, 1990 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, 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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 145 total · 10 in this make and model · 100 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.