What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On March 19, 2003 at about 1015 local time a rockwell 500S commander (N903AK) piloted by Mr. Matt tomter was on a FAR part 91.407(b) maintenance check flight for the Alaska state forestry when fire broke out on the left engine. In an attempt to snuff out the fire the engine was feathered and the aircraft was put into a shallow dive, to no avail the fire continued. The pilot made an emergency landing on the matanuska river resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft, the fire was extinguished on the ground with a hand fire bottle. The pilot and mechanic were uninjured as a result of the landing. Post accident investigation revealed that the fuel line from the firewall to the fuel pump came off in flight, spraying fuel onto the turbo charger resulting in ignition. In turn the turbo oil drain back line was compromised resulting in dumping engine oil into the nacelle helping in feeding the fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MARCH 19, 2003 AT ABOUT 1015 LOCAL TIME A ROCKWELL 500S COMMANDER (N903AK) PILOTED BY MR. MATT TOMTER WAS ON A FAR PART 91.407(B) MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT FOR THE ALASKA STATE FORESTRY WHEN FIRE BROKE OUT ON THE LEFT ENGINE. IN AN ATTEMPT TO SNUFF OUT THE FIRE THE ENGINE WAS FEATHERED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUT INTO A SHALLOW DIVE, TO NO AVAIL THE FIRE CONTINUED. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE MATANUSKA RIVER RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED ON THE GROUND WITH A HAND FIRE BOTTLE. THE PILOT AND MECHANIC WERE UNINJURED AS A RESULT OF THE LANDING. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FIREWALL TO THE FUEL PUMP CAME OFF IN FLIGHT, SPRAYING FUEL ONTO THE TURBO CHARGER RESULTING IN IGNITION. IN TURN THE TURBO OIL DRAIN BACK LINE WAS COMPROMISED RESULTING IN DUMPING ENGINE OIL INTO THE NACELLE HELPING IN FEEDING THE FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.