Cessna 170 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, January 1, 2020
On January 1, 2020 at about 5:30 am local time, a 1953 Cessna 170, registered N4667C, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Fairbanks, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2020 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 B, built 1953 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N4667C · no longer on the register · serial 25611
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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 defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,966.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C145-2 (piston); 3,948 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fairbanks AK at 4:30 am
- Destination: FAI Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: -2°F (-19°C), dew point -8°F (-22°C)
- Altimeter: 28.94 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from PAFA, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 3, 2021. 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 | Accident Picture | 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.