Cessna 182Q accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, August 17, 1999
On August 17, 1999 at about 10:17 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N25ZZ, was substantially damaged in an accident 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. A factor was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1999 · about 10:17 pm 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 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N25ZZ · registry record · serial 18267202
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot, and the pilot-rated passenger of the airplane departed on a cross-country personal flight. The airplane was last fueled the day before the accident. Before departure on the accident flight, the pilot said a preflight inspection found no water in the fuel. He estimated he had about 50 gallons of fuel. The distance from the point of departure, to the accident site is about 230 nautical miles. While in a slow descent, the engine began to run rough and lose power. The pilot adjusted the carburetor heat control, and the mixture control, but the engine roughness intensified. About 1,200 feet, the engine quit running. The pilot selected an emergency landing area in soft, tundra-covered terrain. After touchdown, the airplane nosed over. The airplane's nose gear was sheared off, and the airplane received damage to the propeller, left wing, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder. After the accident, the pilot reported the odor of fuel permeated the air, and he noticed fuel squirting from the fuel tank air vent tube. About two hours after the accident, an Alaska State Trooper arrived to the scene by helicopter to pick up the pilot and passenger. The Trooper reported he did not see or smell the odor of fuel. The airplane wreckage was retrieved by a helicopter company, two days after the accident. During the recovery, the wings and engine were removed from the fuselage. The crew did not notice any fuel in the wing fuel tanks. They did find fuel in the lines between the tanks, the fuel strainer, and an engine fuel line. Three days after the accident, FAA inspectors examined the wreckage. The inspectors noted that no fuel was present in the fuel tanks. The fuel tank screens were unobstructed. A small amount of fuel was found in the fuel strainer. Activation of the engine fuel primer produced fuel from the primer line. The carburetor inlet fuel screen was removed, and a small amount of fuel was found. The screen was clean and unobstructed. The carburetor bowl was about 1/4 full of fuel. Activation of the throttle arm produced fuel from the accelerator pump nozzle. Hand rotation of the engine confirmed valve action, and spark from the spark plug leads.
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 instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 4,030 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 2,960 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PANC Anchorage AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 95Z North Pole AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 223° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:44 pm from PAF, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC99LA120.