What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N171 reported N4949E out of power and landing in valley approx 5 west Kodiak, Alaska. (.19)on July 22, 1999, at 1225 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N4949E, sustained substantial damage during an off airport forced landing about eight miles west of the Kodiak airport, Kodiak, Alaska. The solo commercial pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was being operated by the pilot under 14 CFR part 91 as a business flight from the lily lake seaplane base in Kodiak, to the uganik cannery on Kodiak. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company flight plan was filed. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic) during a telephone interview on July 22, that the airplane was incruise about 1,600 feet above sea level, when the fuel pressure dropped. The pilot said he switched fuel tanks, ensured the mixture control was full forward, and turned on the electric fuel boost pump, but the engine did not restart. The pilot transmitted to a helicopter in the area that he was making an emergency landing. During the landing, the airplane nosed over. The pilot of the helicopter told the iic during a telephone inter view on July 22, that after the airplane came to rest, he landed and shut down his helicopter to assist the accident pilot. The helicopter pilot noted that he turned the magneto switch to off, and turned off both sides of the battery/alternator switch. He smelled fuel, and saw fuel dripping from the wings. (-23) the airplane departed lily lake seaplane base in Kodiak. The airplane was in cruise about 1600 feet above sea level, when fuel pressure dropped. The pilot said he switched fuel tanks, ensured mixture control was full forward, and turned on the electric fuel boost pump. Engine cut off and would not re-start. (.4) the airplane was in cruise flight when all engine power was lost. The pilot switched fuel tanks, and activated the electric fuel boost pump. The engine did not restart, the airplane landed in a rocky riverbed, and nosed over. A witness stated that fuel was leaking from both wings at the accident site, and the magnetos and electric fuel boost pump switches were in the on position. The NTSB investigator-in-charge and an FAA airworthiness inspe ctor operated the engine on the airplane, with no anomalies noted. All flexible fuel lines were removed and internally inspected, the electric fuel pump and bypass valve were removed and tested, and all IO-520 maintenance manual troubleshooting procedures were followed by the iic and FAA inspector, with no anomalies noted.
As the FAA filed it
N171 REPORTED N4949E OUT OF POWER AND LANDING IN VALLEY APPROX 5 WEST KODIAK, ALASKA. (.19)ON JULY 22, 1999, AT 1225 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA 185 AIRPLANE, N4949E, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING ABOUT EIGHT MILES WEST OF THE KODIAK AIRPORT, KODIAK, ALASKA. THE SOLO COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A BUSINESS FLIGHT FROM THE LILY LAKE SEAPLANE BASE IN KODIAK, TO THE UGANIK CANNERY ON KODIAK. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON JULY 22, THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS INCRUISE ABOUT 1,600 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL, WHEN THE FUEL PRESSURE DROPPED. THE PILOT SAID HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, ENSURED THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS FULL FORWARD, AND TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART. THE PILOT TRANSMITTED TO A HELICOPTER IN THE AREA THAT HE WAS MAKING AN EMERGENCY LANDING. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER TOLD THE IIC DURING A TELEPHONE INTER VIEW ON JULY 22, THAT AFTER THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST, HE LANDED AND SHUT DOWN HIS HELICOPTER TO ASSIST THE ACCIDENT PILOT. THE HELICOPTER PILOT NOTED THAT HE TURNED THE MAGNETO SWITCH TO OFF, AND TURNED OFF BOTH SIDES OF THE BATTERY/ALTERNATOR SWITCH. HE SMELLED FUEL, AND SAW FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE WINGS. (-23) THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED LILY LAKE SEAPLANE BASE IN KODIAK. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE ABOUT 1600 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL, WHEN FUEL PRESSURE DROPPED. THE PILOT SAID HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, ENSURED MIXTURE CONTROL WAS FULL FORWARD, AND TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP. ENGINE CUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RE-START. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, AND ACTIVATED THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART, THE AIRPLANE LANDED IN A ROCKY RIVERBED, AND NOSED OVER. A WITNESS STATED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM BOTH WINGS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND THE MAGNETOS AND ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP SWITCHES WERE IN THE ON POSITION. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE AND AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPE CTOR OPERATED THE ENGINE ON THE AIRPLANE, WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED. ALL FLEXIBLE FUEL LINES WERE REMOVED AND INTERNALLY INSPECTED, THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AND BYPASS VALVE WERE REMOVED AND TESTED, AND ALL IO-520 MAINTENANCE MANUAL TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES WERE FOLLOWED BY THE IIC AND FAA INSPECTOR, WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.