# Accident 20170522011009A: Cessna U206F, Kotzebue, AK, May 22, 2017 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 22, 2017, 18:16 local time - Place: Kotzebue, AK - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Taxi - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: G6UC - Location: 68.4714° N, 162.2250° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=68.4714&lon=-162.2250&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9575G, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9575G) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna U206F (registry code 2073333, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-u206f) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA U206F - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 9,300 total, 5,000 in this make and model, 259 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC17LA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17LA024) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170522011009A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 ANC17LA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17LA024), May 23, 2017: Cessna U206F (N9575G), Noatak, AK, destroyed. Probable cause: A fire in the airplane's cabin, which initiated for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive thermal damage. ## Other reports on N9575G (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20121009024559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121009024559A), Oct 9, 2012: Cessna U206F (N9575G), Kotzebue, AK, Substantial damage. While 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… - [Incident 20050710015239I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050710015239I), Jul 10, 2005: Cessna U206F (N9575G), Kotzebue, AK, Minor damage. (-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… - [Accident 19971217039239A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971217039239A), Dec 17, 1997: Cessna U206F (N9575G), Mountain Villag, AK, Substantial damage. Narrative: on December 16, 1997, about 1930 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 206 airplane, N9575G, sustained substantial damage during landing at Mountain… - [Accident 19791204037639A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19791204037639A), Dec 4, 1979: Cessna 206CESSNA (N9575G), Marshall, AK, Substantial damage. Landed on runway with packed and loose snow. Veered off side of runway into snow berm. 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.