FAIRBANKS, AK, USA
N4305L
CESSNA 172
RPRTDLY, THE ACFT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 3 TO 4 MONTHS WITH THE FUEL TANKS EMPTY. WHEN IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FLOWN, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH & WOULD NOT SUSTAIN FLT. DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN DEEP SNOW, THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND, BUT ABOUT ONE OUNCE OF WATER WAS FOUND IN THE GASCOLATOR. A MECHANIC NOTED THAT AT SOME TIME BEFORE THE FLT, HE ATTEMPTED TO DRAIN THE FUEL SUMPS, BUT THEY WOULD NOT DRAIN (AS THOUGH FROZEN).
WATER (OR ICE) CONTAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL, AND AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: SNOW COVERED TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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