- Date
- February 8, 1992, 15:08 local (19:08 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8620SCessna 150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920208002399A
- Case key
- 5688
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.
The pilot misjudged the altitude necessary for terrain clearance on the final approach. Factors which contributed to the accident were the snowbank and the dusk lighting conditions.
Analysis
While on final approach, during dusk lighting conditions, the airplane collided with a snowbank approximately 100 feet from the runway threshold. The private pilot stated that she was 'cutting the runway too close, and that by trying to land on or near the numbers I didn't provide a wide enough safety margin'.
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
- N8620S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15061920
- Airframe hours
- 3,799
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sparks, Donald K.
- Registered owner
- Sparks, Donald K.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 28, 1992 · 15 hours before
- Airport
- FAI · Fairbanks International, runway 1, 3,200 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 137 total · 9 in this make and model · 30 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) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 9 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAI, 1 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.
Other investigations on N8620S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.