What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The 1955 Cessna aircraft departed chandalar lake on June 15, 2020 for flight to Fairbanks international airport with three souls on board. The pilot stated there was 42 gallons of fuel on-board for the 190 mile flight. Aircraft crashed several hundred feet short of water way 20, in the the clear way north of the float pond.
According to Fairbanks airport police report (incident FA20000776), by the time emergency response crew arrived on scene all three occupants had exited the aircraft, and declined medical treatment. The pilot stated the engine lost power, the propeller was windmilling.
NTSB (e.s) was notified, and authorized the aircraft tto be removed from the scene.
June 16, 2020, cmk inspected the aircraft at arctic aviation tie down area. Substantial damage had incurred, with the nose of the aircraft stuck into the ground between the floats, the right wing substantially lower to the ground then the left wing. All float attach stuts were bent or broken.
Fuel quantity remaining was checked by siphoning out fuel from the 4 wing tanks. Given the angle of the aircraft no fuel could be drained from the wing tank sumps. It is logical to assume much of the on-board fuel drained into the lowest point, the right outboard tank, overnight.
Clean blue fuel was recovered by siphon as follows:
Left outboard (aux) 0 gals.
Left inboard (main) 2.5 gals.
Right inboard (main) 3.0 gals
Right outboard (aux) 10 gals
The mains are bladders and hold 30 gals. Ea./ 60 gals. Total / 5 gals. Unusable
The auxs are hartwig STC plastic tanks and are placarded 18.1 gals ea. /36.2 total/ all useable.
There was fuel in the firewall drain sump; two small pearls of water was observed in the fuel collection cup.
The PIC was cooperative, but not able to provide much information. The narrative from PIC:
?Engine failure on final, could not glide to pond, controlled touchdown on grass.?
Investigation was delayed until a engine -run inspection could be made by NTSB. On July 16, 2020 wings and tail removed from aircraft preparatory for repositioning to anc for engine run up, so with NTSB concurrence the carburetor bowl fuel and in-line fuel screen was inspected by cmk and fd from arctic aviation. No significant debris was noted in hose screen, and approx. 8 oz of clean fuel was drained from the carburetor bowl. Carburetor bowl plug and in-line filter were re-installed.
On November 4, cmk was notified by NTSB that the engine run was successful with no mechanical abnormalities noted.
As the FAA filed it
THE 1955 CESSNA AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CHANDALAR LAKE ON JUNE 15, 2020 FOR FLIGHT TO FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITH THREE SOULS ON BOARD. THE PILOT STATED THERE WAS 42 GALLONS OF FUEL ON-BOARD FOR THE 190 MILE FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT CRASHED SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET SHORT OF WATER WAY 20, IN THE THE CLEAR WAY NORTH OF THE FLOAT POND.
ACCORDING TO FAIRBANKS AIRPORT POLICE REPORT (INCIDENT FA20000776), BY THE TIME EMERGENCY RESPONSE CREW ARRIVED ON SCENE ALL THREE OCCUPANTS HAD EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, AND DECLINED MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE LOST POWER, THE PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING.
NTSB (E.S) WAS NOTIFIED, AND AUTHORIZED THE AIRCRAFT TTO BE REMOVED FROM THE SCENE.
JUNE 16, 2020, CMK INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AT ARCTIC AVIATION TIE DOWN AREA. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE HAD INCURRED, WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT STUCK INTO THE GROUND BETWEEN THE FLOATS, THE RIGHT WING SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER TO THE GROUND THEN THE LEFT WING. ALL FLOAT ATTACH STUTS WERE BENT OR BROKEN.
FUEL QUANTITY REMAINING WAS CHECKED BY SIPHONING OUT FUEL FROM THE 4 WING TANKS. GIVEN THE ANGLE OF THE AIRCRAFT NO FUEL COULD BE DRAINED FROM THE WING TANK SUMPS. IT IS LOGICAL TO ASSUME MUCH OF THE ON-BOARD FUEL DRAINED INTO THE LOWEST POINT, THE RIGHT OUTBOARD TANK, OVERNIGHT.
CLEAN BLUE FUEL WAS RECOVERED BY SIPHON AS FOLLOWS:
LEFT OUTBOARD (AUX) 0 GALS.
LEFT INBOARD (MAIN) 2.5 GALS.
RIGHT INBOARD (MAIN) 3.0 GALS
RIGHT OUTBOARD (AUX) 10 GALS
THE MAINS ARE BLADDERS AND HOLD 30 GALS. EA./ 60 GALS. TOTAL / 5 GALS. UNUSABLE
THE AUXS ARE HARTWIG STC PLASTIC TANKS AND ARE PLACARDED 18.1 GALS EA. /36.2 TOTAL/ ALL USEABLE.
THERE WAS FUEL IN THE FIREWALL DRAIN SUMP; TWO SMALL PEARLS OF WATER WAS OBSERVED IN THE FUEL COLLECTION CUP.
THE PIC WAS COOPERATIVE, BUT NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION.THE NARRATIVE FROM PIC:
?ENGINE FAILURE ON FINAL, COULD NOT GLIDE TO POND, CONTROLLED TOUCHDOWN ON GRASS.?
INVESTIGATION WAS DELAYED UNTIL A ENGINE -RUN INSPECTION COULD BE MADE BY NTSB. ON JULY 16, 2020 WINGS AND TAIL REMOVED FROM AIRCRAFT PREPARATORY FOR REPOSITIONING TO ANC FOR ENGINE RUN UP, SO WITH NTSB CONCURRENCE THE CARBURETOR BOWL FUEL AND IN-LINE FUEL SCREEN WAS INSPECTED BY CMK AND FD FROM ARCTIC AVIATION. NO SIGNIFICANT DEBRIS WAS NOTED IN HOSE SCREEN, AND APPROX. 8 OZ OF CLEAN FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE CARBURETOR BOWL. CARBURETOR BOWL PLUG AND IN-LINE FILTER WERE RE-INSTALLED.
ON NOVEMBER 4, CMK WAS NOTIFIED BY NTSB THAT THE ENGINE RUN WAS SUCCESSFUL WITH NO MECHANICAL ABNORMALITIES NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3186D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.