Cessna 182 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, July 23, 2015
On July 23, 2015 at about 3:22 am local time, a Cessna 182, registered N5722B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wasilla, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to ensure adequate fuel was onboard to complete the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the improperly calibrated fuel quantity indication system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2015 · about 3:22 am local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 F · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N5722B · registry record · serial 33722
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a personal sightseeing flight when she realized she was low on fuel, and immediately diverted to an alternate airport. While enroute to the alternate airport she determined that enough fuel remained by consulting her onboard fuel computer, and elected to continue to her destination. As she approached her destination airport, the airplane's engine began to sputter, followed by a total loss of engine power, and she selected a small private airstrip as a landing site. During the emergency descent she "undershot" the landing area, and flared into the trees near the approach end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, and noted that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.
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 exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity indicator › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: flight engineer, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 166 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 88 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 17, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,901.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2014
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 1,901 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 8:30 pm
- Destination: Big Lake AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
- Observation at 3:16 am from PAWS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 13, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.