20090902049569A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Helio H-295 · Koliganek, AK · September 2, 2009

Date: September 2, 2009 · 13:30 local
Place: Koliganek, AK
Airport: Koliganek
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6468V
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC09CA091
Reported as: Helio H-295
Reported engine: Lycoming GO-480 series
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 15,000 total1,000 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N6468VRegistered now · Helio H-295S/N 1424 · Built 1970 Airframe modelHelio H-295 Engine modelLycoming GO-480 seriesReciprocating

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.

The pilot was fishing with two clients on the nushagak river near the village of Koliganek. After departing the river the pilot was forced to land in the tundra due to the engine quiting after turning on the transfer pump to use fuel from the auxillary wing tip fuel tanks. The pilot then turned off the transfer pump and tried a restart. A restart was unsuccesfull and the pilot landed straight ahead on soft tundra. The pilot suspects that contaminated fuel caused the engine to quit.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS FISHING WITH TWO CLIENTS ON THE NUSHAGAK RIVER NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KOLIGANEK. AFTER DEPARTING THE RIVER THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN THE TUNDRA DUE TO THE ENGINE QUITING AFTER TURNING ON THE TRANSFER PUMP TO USE FUEL FROM THE AUXILLARY WING TIP FUEL TANKS. THE PILOT THEN TURNED OFF THE TRANSFER PUMP AND TRIED A RESTART. A RESTART WAS UNSUCCESFULL AND THE PILOT LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON SOFT TUNDRA. THE PILOT SUSPECTS THAT CONTAMINATED FUEL CAUSED THE ENGINE TO QUIT.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB ANC09CA091Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportKoliganek, AKA loss of engine power during cruise flight due to water in the fuel, and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.Sep 2, 2009 · Substantial damage