- Date
- June 15, 1992, 15:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Memory Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1480HAeronca 15AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920615020199A
- Case key
- 5742
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
Fuel exhaustion. Factors include inadequate preflight planning, lack of familiarity with the aircraft, and unsuitable terrain.
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 pilot of the Aeronca 15AC had 'gone light' on fuel because of the weight of the passengers and their cargo. Due to his lack of familiarity with the aircraft fuel indicating system, he was unable to determine the exact amount of usable fuel remaining. Fuel exhaustion occurred while on downwind at his destination, and the pilot executed a forced landing in unsuitable terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1480H
- Reported as
- Aeronca 15AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15AC-550
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard Slattery & Tom Allen
- Registered owner
- Richard Slattery & Tom Allen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- Shulin Lake, 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 201 total · 44 in this make and model · 139 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.