History of Flight
On March 6, 2019, about 1730 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 172 airplane, N7469A, sustained substantial damage when it crashed near Skwentna, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
A friend of the pilot, who was hunting near Farewell, Alaska, stated that the pilot flew from Wasilla Airport (IYS) to Submarine Lake to pick up bison meat and return. The route was about 150 nautical miles through remote, mountainous, snow-covered terrain. The airplane arrived at the frozen Submarine Lake about 1600. The pilot told his friend that he was delayed due to clouds near Skwentna and had difficulty navigating without his GPS. He also said that the weather was good for the remainder of the route. The pilot and friend loaded about 420 lbs of bison meat, and the pilot added 5 gallons of fuel, which he estimated provided 2.5 hours of fuel onboard. The friend noted that weather deteriorated while loading, with occasional light snow and reduced visibility, but mountains were visible. The pilot agreed to send a text message via satellite upon arrival at IYS. The airplane departed eastbound at 1655. Later that evening, the friend noted no message was received and contacted a friend who filed an overdue airplane report with flight service. The FAA issued an alert notice at 2316. A joint search operation was coordinated, including the Alaska Air National Guard, Army National Guard, United States Coast Guard, Civil Air Patrol, Alaska State Troopers, and National Park Service. No visual sightings or emergency locator transmitter signals were received. The search was suspended on March 22. On July 22, a helicopter pilot sighted the wreckage on a low ridge about 25 nm east of Rainy Pass.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Cessna 172, registration N7469A. Weight and balance calculations using the pilot's recorded weight from his last FAA physical, 25 gallons of fuel, 420 lbs of bison meat, and 30 lbs of miscellaneous items indicated a takeoff weight of about 2,136 lbs, within the maximum gross weight of 2,200 lbs. The center of gravity was calculated for various bison meat placements and was within manufacturer limits. The airplane would have burned about 5 gallons of fuel before the accident.
Meteorological Information
AIRMETs issued at 1204 warned of mountain obscuration due to clouds and precipitation, and occasional moderate icing conditions between 3,000 and 10,000 ft. An area forecast indicated moderate icing and marginal VFR to IFR conditions with snow and fog. Archived images from the FAA Puntilla Lake weather camera, 16 miles west of the accident site, showed obscured mountain tops and visibility between 4.5 and 9.5 miles. Satellite imagery and sounding data indicated an overcast cloud layer with tops about 20,000 ft. Moderate rime icing was likely near the surface, with light to moderate icing at higher altitudes. Radar reflectivity indicated very light precipitation. The pilot did not request a weather briefing; whether he accessed weather information could not be determined.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane came to rest on an open, grass-covered ridge at an elevation of 3,241 ft, heading 107°, with the fuselage about 80° nose-down and leaning left 30°. All major components were present within a 30-ft radius. The aft fuselage was twisted and displaced left, with extensive buckling. The nose and engine section were displaced right and crushed into the ground. Wings exhibited extensive fore-to-aft leading-edge deformation. The left pilot's seat showed crushing damage; the pilot's harness was partially outside with the lap belt buckle unlatched. Flight control continuity was verified from the pilot's controls to rudder, elevators, and ailerons. The flap handle was in the retracted position, and flaps were retracted. The left wing outboard section had upward deformation; inboard leading edge had tension tears. The right wing had compression signatures at the leading edge. The empennage was partially attached with separation behind the aft bulkhead; vertical stabilizer, rudder, left stabilizer, and elevator were intact; right horizontal stabilizer was damaged. Landing gear: nose and right main sheared; left intact. The engine was attached at one mount and displaced 90°, propeller blades exhibited aft bending and torsional twisting. Mechanical continuity was established; magnetos produced spark. No preaccident anomalies were noted. A Garmin Pilot III GPS was recovered but had no volatile track data due to a depleted internal battery.