19981026040069A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 207A · Aniak, AK · October 26, 1998

Date
October 26, 1998 · 17:35 local
Place
Aniak, AK
Airport
Aniak
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
ACSA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N73533
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC99LA009
Reported as
Cessna 207A
Reported engine
Continental IO520F
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,200 total3,500 in this make and model98 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19)On October 26, 1998, about 1750 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 207A airplane, N73533, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, about 3 miles west of Aniak, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand passenger flight under title 14 CFR part 135 when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by arctic circle air inc., anchorage, Alaska. The certificated commercial pilot, and the two passengers, received minor injuies. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. VFR company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Aniak Airport, about 1745. The director of operation for the operator reported the flight was a charter flight to kalskag, Alaska, which is located about 22 miles west of Aniak. After takeoff, the pilot climbed to about 1,000 feet MSL. The engine began to sputter, and the pilot switched fuel tanks. The engine roughness improved momentarily, but the engine then quit. The pilot selected a forced landing area on snow covered terrain. The airplane received damage to the landing gear and fuselage. An examination of the engine is pending. (.4) the certificated commercial pilot and two passengers departed a remote airport on an air taxi flight. After takeoff, the pilot climbed the airplane to about 1,000 feet MSL. The engine began to run rough. Emergency engine procedures did not remedy the roughness. The airplane began losing altitude, and the pilot selected a forced landing area in a slough. The airplane collided with trees, and received damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. A sample of fuel from the left reservoir tank was murky and silty, and contained a small amount of water. Laboratory analysis of the fuel sample revealed the fuel met the standards for aviation fuel. Contamination in the fuel sample consisted of silt and dust, microscopic fibers, and paint chips. After recovery, examination of the engine did not find any mechanical malfunction. The engine produced full power on a test stand. (Actual airframe hours: 106127) (-23) on October 12, 1998, at about 2100 adt, artic circle air service aircraft N73533, piloted by james g. robinett jr., certificate #491440503, sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing. The pilot reported an engine failure after departure from the Aniak, AK airport. The pilot switched tanks to the right main and turned the fuel boost pump on. Engine ran briefly then failed. Aircraft crashed into trees 3 miles sw of Aniak, AK. Pilot and two passengers reported minor injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(.19)ON OCTOBER 26, 1998, ABOUT 1750 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 207A AIRPLANE, N73533, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING, ABOUT 3 MILES WEST OF ANIAK, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) ON-DEMAND PASSENGER FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 135 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY ARCTIC CIRCLE AIR INC., ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, AND THE TWO PASSENGERS, RECEIVED MINOR INJUIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. VFR COMPANY FLIGHT FOLLOWING PROCEDURES WERE IN EFFECT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE ANIAK AIRPORT, ABOUT 1745. THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATION FOR THE OPERATOR REPORTED THE FLIGHT WAS A CHARTER FLIGHT TO KALSKAG, ALASKA, WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 22 MILES WEST OF ANIAK. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 1,000 FEET MSL. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER, AND THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS. THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS IMPROVED MOMENTARILY, BUT THE ENGINE THEN QUIT. THE PILOT SELECTED A FORCED LANDING AREA ON SNOW COVERED TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND FUSELAGE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE IS PENDING. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS DEPARTED A REMOTE AIRPORT ON AN AIR TAXI FLIGHT. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT CLIMBED THE AIRPLANE TO ABOUT 1,000 FEET MSL. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. EMERGENCY ENGINE PROCEDURES DID NOT REMEDY THE ROUGHNESS. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE, AND THE PILOT SELECTED A FORCED LANDING AREA IN A SLOUGH. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES, AND RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, FUSELAGE, AND EMPENNAGE. A SAMPLE OF FUEL FROM THE LEFT RESERVOIR TANK WAS MURKY AND SILTY, AND CONTAINED A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER. LABORATORY ANALYSIS OF THE FUEL SAMPLE REVEALED THE FUEL MET THE STANDARDS FOR AVIATION FUEL. CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL SAMPLE CONSISTED OF SILT AND DUST, MICROSCOPIC FIBERS, AND PAINT CHIPS. AFTER RECOVERY, EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT FIND ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE ENGINE PRODUCED FULL POWER ON A TEST STAND. (ACTUAL AIRFRAME HOURS: 106127) (-23) ON OCTOBER 12, 1998, AT ABOUT 2100 ADT, ARTIC CIRCLE AIR SERVICE AIRCRAFT N73533, PILOTED BY JAMES G. ROBINETT JR., CERTIFICATE #491440503, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED AN ENGINE FAILURE AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE ANIAK, AK AIRPORT. THE PILOT SWITCHED TANKS TO THE RIGHT MAIN AND TURNED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP ON. ENGINE RAN BRIEFLY THEN FAILED. AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO TREES 3 MILES SW OF ANIAK, AK. PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS REPORTED MINOR INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N73533 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.