Cessna 172N accident near Glennallen, Alaska, September 8, 1995
On September 8, 1995, a Cessna 172N, registered N737SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glennallen, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, due to an inadequate supply of fuel. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for an emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1995
- Place
- Glennallen, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737SP · registry record · serial 17269642
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger departed on a cross-country flight with less than full fuel in the airplane. The airplane had a fuel capacity of 42 gallons with 4 gallons being unusable. The pilot estimated that the airplane had 30 to 32 gallons of fuel when he departed. The airplane's Lycoming O-320 engine had been replaced with a (larger) Lycoming O-360 engine. The pilot made one intermediate stop due to poor weather conditions. After departure toward the intended destination, the engine suddenly lost power. Efforts to restore power were not successful. The pilot made a forced landing into remote and rough terrain with the airplane coming to rest inverted. Total time of this flight was 2.3 hours. Total flight time since the airplane was refueled was 3.5 hours. Aircraft recovery personnel reported that no fuel was present in the airplane. A postaccident inspection of the airplane did not reveal any engine mechanical malfunction.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,031 hours in all; 8,039 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,284 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 10, 1995; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENA Kenai AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: GKN Glenallen AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.