Cessna 172 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, May 11, 2002
On May 11, 2002 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6475E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots improper starting procedure. Factors associated with the accident are the continued operation of the airplane with a known mechanical deficiency, and failure to use wheel chocks and/or tie-down rope/straps to restrain the airplane during the engine starting procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2002 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6475E · no longer on the register · serial 46575
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was preparing for a flight to his home airport. He had been having problems with the airplane's starter not engaging, and decided to hand-prop the airplane as he had done in the past. The airplane was not chocked or tied down. When the engine started the airplane surged forward, and the pilot was not able to physically hold the airplane. The airplane accelerated across the ramp and collided with a hangar. The airplane's right wing leading edge, ribs, and spar were damaged, as was the fuselage aft of the passenger compartment. There were no injuries associated with the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,380 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2001; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAFA Fairbanks AK
- Destination: KYU Koyukuk AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PAFA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.