- Date
- July 8, 2017, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bettles, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9664XCessna 210
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of visual reference
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170708011479A
- Case key
- 95764
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 failure to maintain an appropriate glidepath during the approach to the runway over glassy water and in glaring sun conditions.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he overflew a remote airstrip, which was bounded by a lake on the approach end. He added that he circled back to land and that, during final approach, he encountered "glassy water and bright sun." Subsequently, the airplane landed short of the runway in the lake, sunk in more than 500 ft of water, and was not recovered. The Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who interviewed the pilot reported that he stated that the sun and the reflection off the lake gave him the impression that the airplane was higher than it was. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he overflew a remote airstrip, which was bounded by a lake on the approach end. He added that he circled back to land, and during final approach he encountered "glassy water and bright sun." Subsequently, the airplane landed short of the runway in the lake and sunk. The Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector who interviewed the pilot, reported that he stated, the sun and the reflection off the lake gave him the impression that the airplane was higher than it was. The airplane sunk in more than 500 ft. of water and was not recovered. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9664X
- Reported as
- Cessna 210 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21057964
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 5,550
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-470S, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 15, 2017
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- Bettles, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 80 in this make and model · 4,750 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Observed at
- NONE
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.