- Date
- August 18, 1994, 11:06 local (19:06 UTC)
- Place
- Wrangell, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N78428Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19940818021799A
- Case key
- 2553
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
Loss of engine power for undertermined reasons and the lack of a suitable landing area.
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 experienced a partial power loss during cruise flight. The pilot was able to maintain partial power by pumping the throttle. He selected a forced landing area and during the landing roll the right wing hit a 'dead tree snag.' The reason for the engine power problem was undetermined.
Factual narrative
On August 18, 1994 at 1106 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 172 airplane, N78428 experienced a partial power failure during cruise flight and was forced to land at Vande Put Point, near Thomas Bay, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Petersburg, Alaska, and the destination was Juneau, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.
According to the student pilot, he was able to keep the engine running partially by pumping the throttle. He attempted to select the left and right fuel tanks but the engine would not run. He finally selected fuel tanks "both" position and accomplished a magneto check. He stated the magnetos checked fine. He continued to pump the throttle to maintain some engine power. He executed a forced landing on the beach and during the landing roll the right wing hit a dead tree snag damaging the right wing.
Examination of the airplane did not show any reason for the power loss.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78428
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257612
- Airframe hours
- 2,829
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tullis, John L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PSG · Petersburg, AK
- Destination
- JNU · Juneau, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 71
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 73 total · 61 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSG, 12 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 N78428 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.