What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft stop for refueling, and pilot
On 28 may 2020, around 1600 Alaska time, an Aero Commander airplane,
N909AK sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident close to Aniak, Alaska.
The pilot and three passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane was
Operated a federal regulations part 91 public aircraft flight.
The airplaneis owned by the state of Alaska, and operated by the division of forestry
According to the pilot, after arriving in Aniak, he had the fuel vendor's ground service
Personnel refuel the airplane. He then signed the fuel receipt, and he returned to the airplane's
Cockpit to complete paperwork before departure. Once the paperwork was complete, he
Then loaded his passengers, started the airplane's engines, and taxied to runway 29 for
Departure.
The pilot said that shortly after takeoff, and during initial climb, he initially noticed what he
Thought was mechanical turbulence followed by a reduction in climb performance, and the
Airplane's engines began to lose power. Unable to maintain altitude and while descending
About 400 ft per minute, he selected an area of shallow water covered terrain as an off-airport
Landing site. The last thing the pilot remembered of the accident flight was guiding the airplane
To the off-airport landing site.
According to the fuel vendors fuel truck driver, he was unfamiliar with the airplane, so he
Queried the pilot as to where he should attach the grounding strap and the location of the fuel
Filler port. Before starting to refuel the airplane, he asked the pilot "do you want prist with your
Jet" to which the pilot responded that he did not. After completing the refueling process, he
Returned to his truck, wrote "jet a" in the meter readings section of the prepared receipt, and
Presented it to the pilot for his signature. The pilot signed the receipt and was provided a copy.
The fueler stated that he later added "no prist" to his copy of the receipt.
The airplane is equipped with two, Lycoming IO-540 series engines. That the reciprocating engine airplane had been
Inadvertently serviced with jet a fuel.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT STOP FOR REFUELING, AND PILOT
ON 28 MAY 2020, AROUND 1600 ALASKA TIME, AN AERO COMMANDER AIRPLANE,
N909AK SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT CLOSE TO ANIAK, ALASKA.
THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS
OPERATED A FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PUBLIC AIRCRAFT FLIGHT.
THE AIRPLANEIS OWNED BY THE STATE OF ALASKA, AND OPERATED BY THE DIVISION OF FORESTRY
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AFTER ARRIVING IN ANIAK, HE HAD THE FUEL VENDOR'S GROUND SERVICE
PERSONNEL REFUEL THE AIRPLANE. HE THEN SIGNED THE FUEL RECEIPT, AND HE RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE'S
COCKPIT TO COMPLETE PAPERWORK BEFORE DEPARTURE. ONCE THE PAPERWORK WAS COMPLETE, HE
THEN LOADED HIS PASSENGERS, STARTED THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINES, AND TAXIED TO RUNWAY 29 FOR
DEPARTURE.
THE PILOT SAID THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AND DURING INITIAL CLIMB, HE INITIALLY NOTICED WHAT HE
THOUGHT WAS MECHANICAL TURBULENCE FOLLOWED BY A REDUCTION IN CLIMB PERFORMANCE, AND THE
AIRPLANE'S ENGINES BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND WHILE DESCENDING
ABOUT 400 FT PER MINUTE, HE SELECTED AN AREA OF SHALLOW WATER COVERED TERRAIN AS AN OFF-AIRPORT
LANDING SITE. THE LAST THING THE PILOT REMEMBERED OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS GUIDING THE AIRPLANE
TO THE OFF-AIRPORT LANDING SITE.
ACCORDING TO THE FUEL VENDORS FUEL TRUCK DRIVER, HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPLANE, SO HE
QUERIED THE PILOT AS TO WHERE HE SHOULD ATTACH THE GROUNDING STRAP AND THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL
FILLER PORT. BEFORE STARTING TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE, HE ASKED THE PILOT "DO YOU WANT PRIST WITH YOUR
JET" TO WHICH THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE DID NOT. AFTER COMPLETING THE REFUELING PROCESS, HE
RETURNED TO HIS TRUCK, WROTE "JET A" IN THE METER READINGS SECTION OF THE PREPARED RECEIPT, AND
PRESENTED IT TO THE PILOT FOR HIS SIGNATURE. THE PILOT SIGNED THE RECEIPT AND WAS PROVIDED A COPY.
THE FUELER STATED THAT HE LATER ADDED "NO PRIST" TO HIS COPY OF THE RECEIPT.
THE AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO, LYCOMING IO-540 SERIES ENGINES. THAT THE RECIPROCATING ENGINE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN
INADVERTENTLY SERVICED WITH JET A FUEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.