Cessna 170 N4667C

Summary

On 1 January 2020 at about 05:30 local time, a Cessna 170 registered N4667C was involved in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 January 2020 at 05:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

64.6669, -148.1333

Aircraft

Cessna 170

Registration

N4667C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1953

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fairbanks → Fairbanks

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ANC20CA011

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, an emergency off-airport landing, and a nose over.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during a night flight, in his tailwheel ski-equipped airplane, weather conditions began to deteriorate, and he elected to navigate to a nearby airport, with an estimated 20-minute fuel reserve upon his arrival. Once at the intended airport, he was unable to activate the runway lights via the pilot-controlled lighting and diverted to an alternate airport approximately 35 miles away. About 10 nautical miles from the alternate airport, the engine lost all power due to fuel exhaustion. Subsequently, he made an emergency landing to an off-airport field. During the emergency landing the ski-equipped airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the empennage. 14 Code of Federal Regulation 91.151 Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions, states in part: (a) No person may begin a flight in an airplane under VFR conditions unless (considering wind and forecast weather conditions) there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed-     (1) During the day, to fly after that for at least 30 minutes; or     (2) At night, to fly after that for at least 45 minutes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.