| Crash location | 64.370000°N, 148.430000°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Fairbanks, AK
64.837778°N, 147.716389°W 38.6 miles away |
| Tail number | N8646U |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 30 May 2014 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172F |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot stated that, while flying north over a river at 200 feet above ground level, the airplane ran out of fuel in the left tank. The engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing on flat terrain with tussocks and spruce trees. The airplane subsequently struck a stand of spruce trees, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, the fuselage, and other structures.
In the pilot's written statement to the NTSB, he reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot's improper inflight planning, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. A factor was the pilot's selection of a low cruise flight altitude, which provided little time for the selection of suitable terrain for the forced landing or for engine restart procedures.