Cessna 172F accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, May 30, 2014
On May 30, 2014 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 172F, registered N8646U, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks International Airpor 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 pilot's improper inflight planning, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. A factor was the pilot's selection of a low cruise flight altitude, which provided little time for the selection of suitable terrain for the forced landing or for engine restart procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2014 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks International Airpor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F, built 1965 · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8646U · no longer on the register · serial 17252548
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, while flying north over a river at 200 feet above ground level, the airplane ran out of fuel in the left tank. The engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing on flat terrain with tussocks and spruce trees. The airplane subsequently struck a stand of spruce trees, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, the fuselage, and other structures. In the pilot's written statement to the NTSB, he reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,228 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,176 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 15, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,748 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK
- Destination: FAI Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 13,000 ft; a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.62 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.