Cessna R172K accident near Nome, AK

On March 6, 2017, a Cessna R172K (airplane) was involved in an accident near Nome, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

March 6, 2017

Place

Nome, AK

Aircraft

Cessna R172K · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

64.448°N, 165.091°W

NTSB ID

20170306X60913

Official records · ANC17FA018

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 5, 2017, about 2223 Alaska standard time, a Cessna R172K airplane, N736AS, impacted sea ice in Norton Sound, about 10 miles east of Nome, Alaska. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight, and instrument meteorological condition (IMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The flight departed Wasilla Airport (IYS), Wasilla, Alaska, at 1710 destined for Nome City Field Airport (94Z), Nome, Alaska. The pilot's fiancée stated that the pilot had not flown his airplane since late summer 2016 and that he had listed the airplane for sale in January 2017 because he flew the airplane infrequently. She said that the pilot had flown to Nome often but usually during the summer. On the day of the accident, the pilot's fiancée observed him fueling the airplane from a self-service commercial fuel tank and filling 5-gallon fuel containers before departure. A fuel receipt indicated that the pilot purchased 35.3 gallons of fuel. The distance from IYS to 94Z is about 470 nautical miles (nm). The pilot's fiancée reported that she received a text message from the pilot about 2100 indicating that he was about 45 minutes from 94Z but would not be able to land there due to weather. The pilot also sent a text message to a friend in Nome, asking about the weather. The friend reported that she sent a text message at 2141 to the pilot

Probable cause

The pilot's improper decision to conduct multiple visual approaches to the destination airport despite the night instrument meteorological conditions; the airplane's low fuel state at that time, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion; and the pilot's subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which led to an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control. Contributin

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.