Cessna 150 accident near Bethel, Alaska, September 10, 1992
On September 10, 1992, a Cessna 150, registered N7763F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bethel, Alaska. It was an instructional 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 CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS AND THE DELAY BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND/CFI IN USING CARBURETOR HEAT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1992
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N7763F · registry record · serial 150 63863
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT IN COMMAND/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH ABOUT TWO HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT. FULL CARBURETOR HEAT WAS APPLIED AND THE ROUGHNESS DISAPPEARED. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS REAPPEARED. ENGINE INSTRUMENT INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. THE ENGINE COUGHED AND SPUTTERED, BUT LITTLE FLUCTUATION IN RPM WAS NOTED. FULL CARBURETOR HEAT WAS ONCE AGAIN APPLIED BUT THE ENGINE QUIT AND ATTEMPTS AT RESTARTING WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY (RESTRICTED TO LOW RPM DUE TO MOTOR MOUNT DAMAGE) DURING A POST ACCIDENT STATIC EXAMINATION AND OPERATIONAL CHECK. ALL ENGINE CONTROLS WERE INTACT. NO FOREIGN MATERIAL/CONTAMINANTS WAS FOUND IN THE WING TANKS, ENGINE FUEL STRAINER, AND CARBURETOR FINGER SCREEN. THE TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 44 DEG AND 30 DEG RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO THE CARB ICING PROB CHART SERIOUS ICING AT CRUISE POWER WAS POSSIBLE AT THE AMBIENT CONDITIONS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,430 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,398 as pilot in command; 1,020 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,662 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 1992; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Port Alsworth AK at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from BET, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.