Air Tractor INC AT 802 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, June 6, 2016
On June 6, 2016 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2012 Air Tractor INC AT 802, registered N802CE, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Fairbanks, Alaska. It was an other work-use 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 inadequate preflight fuel planning, his reliance on the fuel flow indicator without verifying the initial fuel level input, and his improper decision to continue the flight with the low fuel light illuminated, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, the subsequent total loss of engine power, and a forced landing on steep, rocky terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2016 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT 802, built 2012 · all AT 802s on the register
- Registration
- N802CE · registry record · serial 802-0467
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that the commercial pilot was returning to the home base after delivering a load of bulk fuel to a remote village. During climbout, the low fuel warning light started flickering but then extinguished. About 40 miles, or halfway, from the intended destination, the low fuel warning light illuminated again. About 20 miles from the intended destination, the engine lost all power. The pilot performed the engine-out emergency procedure and attempted to restart the engine to no avail. Subsequently, the pilot conducted a forced landing to a remote area, during which the airplane struck several large trees and steep, rocky terrain. The operator reported that, during the recovery of the wreckage, both fuel tanks were found intact, and no usable fuel was found in either tank. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was equipped with an electronic fuel flow indicator that had no fuel level sensing capabilities. The fuel remaining shown by the indicator relied solely on the pilot's input of fuel added; the fuel remaining shown on the indicator after the accident was 96.4 gallons. The measured fuel used since the last reset of the indicator was 77.4 gallons, which indicates that the fuel flow indicator was programmed with 173.8 gallons of fuel onboard at the last fueling or instrument reset. Given that the airplane ran out of fuel, the starting value of 173.8 gallons of fuel onboard was incorrect. Based on this evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not verify the initial fuel input level on the fuel quantity indicator, which resulted in an incorrect indication of the actual fuel remaining in the airplane and the subsequent fuel exhaustion and loss of all engine power.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,565 hours in all; 465 in this make and model; 93 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 4,352 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 15, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 874.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 9, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney Canada PT6A-67F (turboprop); 796 hours total
- Operator: Everts Air Fuel, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: RMP Rampart AK
- Destination: FAI Fairbanks AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PAFA, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on July 15, 2019. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Flight Helmet Email | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | N802CE Fuel Documents | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | N802CE Daam Data Sheet | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Revised Factual | PDF, 6 pages | 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.