- Date
- July 24, 2018, 17:30 local (Jul 25, 2018, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Meadow Lakes, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N171QCessna 172
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180724017759A
- Case key
- 97948
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 selection of the wrong fuel tank for departure, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent total loss of engine power.
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, during the initial climb, the engine experienced a total loss of power. He added that he realized the wrong fuel tank had been selected for takeoff. He subsequently performed a forced landing on a gravel stream bed north of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the initial climb, the airplane's engine experienced a total loss of power. He added that, he realized the wrong fuel tank had been selected for takeoff and performed a forced landing on a gravel stream bed north of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N171Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28197
- Built
- 1956
- Airframe hours
- 5,674
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 10, 2018
- Departed
- 8AK8 · Meadow Lakes, AK
- Destination
- AK12 · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- 8AK8 · North Cubs Strip, runway 32, 1,500 × 50 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,300 total · 1,225 in this make and model · 2,260 as pilot in command · 123 in the last 90 days · 67 in the last 30 days · 1.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 5 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.
Other investigations on N171Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.