# Accident 19990711008699A: Cessna 337B, Seldovia, AK, July 11, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 11, 1999, 14:30 local time - Place: Seldovia, AK - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 59.3908° N, 151.6593° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.3908&lon=-151.6593&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5499S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5499S-2008-10-24) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 337B (registry code 2075706, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-337b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-360 series (registry code 17025, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 337B - Reported engine: CONT IO360* - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 7,500 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA091) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990711008699A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES WHILE EN ROUTE AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.19) ON JULY 11, 1999, ABOUT 1430 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 337B AIRPLANE, N5499S, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE SELDOVIA AIRPORT, SELDOVIA, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, AND THE ONE PASSENGER ABOARD, RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. DURING A CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON AUGUST 13, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THREE DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, HE PARKED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE MAIN FUEL TANKS ABOUT ONE-HALF FULL. HE SAID THAT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, HE NOTED THAT THE COCKPIT FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS INDICATED THAT BOTH MAIN TANKS WERE ABOUT ONE-QUARTER FULL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT CLIMB UP ON THE WINGS AND VERIFY THE REMAINING FUEL QUANTITY IN THE MAIN FUEL TANKS, BUT PLANNED TO MAKE THE SHORT FLIGHT TO HOMER, ALASKA, TO P URCHASE FUEL. HE SAID THAT JUST AFTER DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 34, ABOUT 500 FEET MSL, BOTH ENGINES BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ALL ENGINE POWER. HE INDICATED THAT HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE 180 DEGREES, BUT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY, AND MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A TIDAL BEACH. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A STAND OF TREES, AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD ON THE BEACH. THE PILOT ADDED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE ON THE MAIN FUEL TANKS, AND THAT BOTH AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY, AND NOT IN USE. AN ALASKA STATE TROOPER THAT RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, ARRIVED ON SCENE ABOUT ONE HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. HE REPORTED THAT UPON HIS ARRIVAL, BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE "DRY." HE ADDED THAT THE LEFT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK APPEARED TO HAVE A "MINIMAL AMOUNT OF FUEL LEFT, AND THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY." THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, FUSELAGE, AND EMPENNAGE. (-23) PRIOR TO THE INTENDED FLIGHT, THE PILOT HAD NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED A FUEL STATUS CHANGE FROM A HALF FULL TANK TO POSSIBLY LESS TH AN A ONE QUARTER FULL TANK, AFTER HAVING LEFT THE AIRCRAFT PARKED AT THE SELDOVIA AIRPORT FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE DAYS. PILOT FAILED TO VERIFY FUEL QUANTITY IN THE TANKS WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE THAT THE FUEL STATUS HAD CHANGED BY UNKNOWN REASONS. THE PILOT, WITH A PASSENGER ON BOARD, ELECTED TO FLY FROM SELDOVIA AIRPORT OT THE HOMER AIRPORT TO REFUEL THE AIRCRAFT. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, HE NOTED THAT THE COCKPIT FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS INDICATED THAT BOTH MAIN TANKS WERE ABOUT ONE-QUARTER FULL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT CLIMB UP ON THE WINGS AND VERIFY THE REMAINING FUEL QUANTITY IN THE MAIN FUEL TANKS, BUT PLANNED TO MAKE THE SHORT FLIGHT TO HOMER, ALASKA, TO PURCHASE FUEL. HE SAID THAT JUST AFTER DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 34, ABOUT 500 FEET MSL, BOTH ENGINES BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, FOLLOWED BY A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. HE SUBSEQUENTLY MADE A GEAR-UP, FORCED LANDING ON A TIDAL BEACH. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A STAND OF TREES, AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD ON THE BEACH. A RESPONDING ALASKA STATE TROOPER DISCOVERED THAT BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE DRY. HE ADDED THA T THE LEFT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK APPEARED TO HAVE A 'MINIMAL AMOUNT OF FUEL LEFT, AND THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY.' THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, FUSELAGE, AND EMPENNAGE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC99LA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA091), Jul 11, 1999: Cessna 337B (N5499S), Seldovia, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and subsequent fuel exhaustion. ## Other reports on N5499S (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19740518010479A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19740518010479A), May 18, 1974: Cessna 337B (N5499S), Leawood, KS, Substantial damage. Plt lost sight of rwy drg nose hi flare. Applied pwr to go-arnd acft rolled. Hump in rwy. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.