Flight History
On October 17, 2013, about 1711 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 172C airplane, N1512Y, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain shortly after departing runway 20L at Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), Fairbanks, Alaska. The private pilot was fatally injured, and two passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the flight destined to North Pole, Alaska.
Air traffic controllers on duty reported that the airplane departed runway 20L at intersection Romeo. Shortly after departure, the pilot was cleared to turn left and proceed on course, but no verbal response was received. The controllers observed the airplane initiate a left turn before descending and impacting terrain on the south side of the airport property.
In a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the front seat passenger, the pilot's son, stated that the flight's purpose was to take the airplane to a maintenance provider for installation of a new nose wheel assembly. He stated that they did not add fuel, but he thought the tanks were full. They taxied out and commenced takeoff; he did not remember anything after the takeoff roll began.
Runway 2R/20L is about 6,500 feet long. At taxiway Romeo, about 3,452 feet of runway was available for takeoff.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 51, held a Private Pilot Certificate with a single-engine land rating. His last FAA flight physical on October 8, 1997, reported he was 72 inches tall and weighed 229 pounds, with 400 total flight hours and 50 hours in the previous six months. No personal logbooks were located.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number 17249412, was manufactured in 1956. It was powered by a Continental O-300-C engine, serial number 22189-D-70-C R, rated at 145 horsepower, and equipped with a McCauley fixed-pitch propeller. The engine was overhauled on October 24, 2007, and reinstalled at a tachometer time of 1,715.00. The last annual inspection was completed on August 15, 2013, at a tachometer time of 1,904.3.
Meteorological Information
The nearest official weather reporting station, Fairbanks International Airport, reported at 1721 Alaska daylight time: wind 020 degrees (true) at 3 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; clouds few at 7,500 feet AGL, broken at 10,000 feet AGL, broken at 13,500 feet AGL; temperature 46°F; dew point 42°F; altimeter 29.70 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination by the NTSB IIC revealed the airplane came to rest upright, nose low, adjacent to an airport perimeter fence, approximately 1,585 feet from the departure end of runway 20L. Wreckage debris remained within about 50 feet of the main wreckage, and all major structural components were located at the site.
The airplane impacted the upsloped bank of a slough. Initial impact was the left wing tip, buried approximately 6 inches. An impact crater consistent with the nose was located about 20 feet from the initial ground contact. The main wreckage came to rest about 25 feet from the nose crater, at the base of an airport perimeter fence.
The empennage was broken at a rivet line just aft of the fuselage, canted right approximately 120 degrees. The right elevator rested against the right flap. The engine separated from the firewall. The carburetor separated from the oil/induction pan but remained connected to engine control cables. Exhaust tubes showed no ductile folding.
Both propeller blades remained attached to the engine crankshaft, with no rotational signatures. One blade was bent aft approximately 70 degrees at midspan; the other was undamaged. No chordwise scratches or rotational scoring were noted.
The left front seat was cut by first responders to extract the pilot. The left seatbelt sections remained connected to the airframe with no stretching or impact signatures; the clasp spring was missing. The fuel selector linkage was broken.
The airplane was equipped with two wing-mounted bladder fuel tanks. Total capacity is 42 gallons, of which 37 are usable. Both tanks were drained at the site: the right wing held about 2 gallons, the left about 0.5 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline. The fuel was clean with no water. No visible ruptures or fuel odor were observed. The carburetor fuel bowl contained a small amount of fuel, and the accelerator pump actuated but did not discharge fuel.
Flight control continuity was established from ailerons to control yokes; elevator and rudder continuity could only be traced to the cockpit area due to damage. On October 22, 2013, examination at the owner's hangar by the NTSB IIC, FAA inspectors, and representatives from Cessna and Continental Motors found no preaccident airframe anomalies. The fuel selector valve was in the "both on" position. The carburetor fuel screen was clean, and floats appeared in good condition. Engine examination revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies; valve train and accessory continuity was verified, thumb compression noted on all cylinders, and magnetos provided spark in correct firing order.
Additional Information
Approximately 1 minute 45 seconds before the accident, a Boeing 737 was cleared for takeoff on parallel runway 20R. The parallel runways are separated by 1,800 feet. The FAA Aeronautical Information Manual and Pilot's Handbook provide information on wake vortices and avoidance techniques. In calm wind conditions, vortices from large aircraft can remain for many minutes. The majority of wake vortex accidents occur in winds between 3 and 10 knots.
Communications
The pilot was in contact with Fairbanks Air Traffic Control Tower. Controllers reported the airplane departed runway 20L at intersection Romeo, and after departure the pilot was cleared to turn left and proceed on course. The controllers observed the airplane initiate a left turn before descending and impacting terrain.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination by the Alaska State Medical Examiner on October 21, 2013, attributed the pilot's cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries. A toxicological examination by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute on December 3, 2013, was negative for carbon monoxide, alcohol, or drugs. Tests revealed elevated glucose: 46 mg/dL in vitreous, 1,668 mg/dL in urine, and 10.3% hemoglobin A1C in blood (cavity). Conversations with family members indicated the pilot was not actively being treated for diabetes.