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20170522011009A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna U206F · Kotzebue, AK · May 22, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 22, 2017 · 18:16 local
Place
Kotzebue, AK
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
G6UC
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N9575G
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC17LA024
Reported as
Cessna U206F
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
9,300 total5,000 in this make and model259 in the last 90 days
N9575GRegistered now · Cessna U206FS/N U20601775 · Built 1972Airframe modelCessna U206FEngine modelContinental IO-520 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.

On may 22 2017 at 17:57 local time PIC took off from Kotzebue airport (paot) on a routine flight with one passenger, who PIC has flown to the same location for the last 11 years, remote strip named ?surveyor strip?. Surveyor strip is located on a gravel bar 30 miles north of Kotzebue AK. Everything was normal along the course of flight. PIC stated they landed at surveyor strip at 18:19 local time. After landing, PIC taxied the aircraft to a wide spot in the gravel bar that PIC routinely utilizes to turn around to back taxi and unload. During the back taxi PIC stated he felt heat from inside the plane almost immediately. PIC turned his head to the right, towards the front door post of cargo door and all PIC could see were flames. There was no forewarning of a fire: no smoke, no fumes, no smell, or anything of the sort, just instantaneous heat and flames. PIC immediately directed passenger that theyneeded to exit the aircraft and almost simultaneously PIC unclipped seat belt, sliding my seat back out of passenger's exit path and opened the pilot door, where both exited. This took place in a matter of seconds. The airplane was already completely engulfed in flames by the time PIC and passenger made it safely out of the aircraft. Besides minor burns and hair being singed PIC and passenger received no injuries. In the extremely short time that it took the flames to completely consume the aircraft there was no time to fight the fire.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 22 2017 AT 17:57 LOCAL TIME PIC TOOK OFF FROM KOTZEBUE AIRPORT (PAOT) ON A ROUTINE FLIGHT WITH ONE PASSENGER, WHO PIC HAS FLOWN TO THE SAME LOCATION FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS, REMOTE STRIP NAMED ?SURVEYOR STRIP?. SURVEYOR STRIP IS LOCATED ON A GRAVEL BAR 30 MILES NORTH OF KOTZEBUE AK. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL ALONG THE COURSE OF FLIGHT. PIC STATED THEY LANDED AT SURVEYOR STRIP AT 18:19 LOCAL TIME. AFTER LANDING, PIC TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT TO A WIDE SPOT IN THE GRAVEL BAR THAT PIC ROUTINELY UTILIZES TO TURN AROUND TO BACK TAXI AND UNLOAD. DURING THE BACK TAXI PIC STATED HE FELT HEAT FROM INSIDE THE PLANE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. PIC TURNED HIS HEAD TO THE RIGHT, TOWARDS THE FRONT DOOR POST OF CARGO DOOR AND ALL PIC COULD SEE WERE FLAMES. THERE WAS NO FOREWARNING OF A FIRE: NO SMOKE, NO FUMES, NO SMELL, OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT, JUST INSTANTANEOUS HEAT AND FLAMES. PIC IMMEDIATELY DIRECTED PASSENGER THAT THEYNEEDED TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT AND ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY PIC UNCLIPPED SEAT BELT, SLIDING MY SEAT BACK OUT OF PASSENGER'S EXIT PATH AND OPENED THE PILOT DOOR, WHERE BOTH EXITED. THIS TOOK PLACE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THE AIRPLANE WAS ALREADY COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES BY THE TIME PIC AND PASSENGER MADE IT SAFELY OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. BESIDES MINOR BURNS AND HAIR BEING SINGED PIC AND PASSENGER RECEIVED NO INJURIES. IN THE EXTREMELY SHORT TIME THAT IT TOOK THE FLAMES TO COMPLETELY CONSUME THE AIRCRAFT THERE WAS NO TIME TO FIGHT 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.

NTSB ANC17LA024Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNoatak, AKA fire in the airplane's cabin, which initiated for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive thermal damage.May 23, 2017 · Destroyed

Other reports on N9575G · 4

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

Accident 20121009024559ALanding: Touchdown · Kotzebue, AKWhile landing on a gravelbar airstrip that was approximately 900' long, the aircraft's right wheel came in contact with the water at the edge of the gravelbar pulling the aircraft to the right. The aircraft began to cartwheel slightly causing the right…Oct 9, 2012 · Substantial damageIncident 20050710015239IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Kotzebue, AK(-23) [privacy data omitted] while back-taxiing on a gravel bar on the nimiuktuk river located 95 miles northeast of Kotzebue, Alaska the CE-206'S nose wheel fell into a sink hole and the propeller blade struck the ground causing minor damage to the…Jul 10, 2005 · Minor damageAccident 19971217039239ALevel Off Touchdown · Mountain Villag, AKNarrative: on December 16, 1997, about 1930 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 206 airplane, N9575G, sustained substantial damage during landing at Mountain Village, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) flight under title 14 CFR…Dec 17, 1997 · Substantial damageAccident 19791204037639ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Marshall, AKLanded on runway with packed and loose snow. Veered off side of runway into snow berm.Dec 4, 1979 · Reported as Cessna 206CESSNA · Substantial damage