# NTSB ANC12LA093: Cessna U206D, N729RV, Nikolai, AK, August 25, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 25, 2012, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC) - Place: Nikolai, AK - Coordinates: 62.505279, -153.887496 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=62.5053&lon=-153.8875&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 27, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 84824 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC12LA093 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84824/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84824 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC12LA093 ## Probable cause The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the engine was not made available for examination. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna U206D, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=2073342), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna U206D, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2073342), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Cessna U206D, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2073342), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna U206D, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2073342), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot stated that while in level cruise flight, the engine lost oil pressure, followed by smoke in the cockpit, and a total loss of engine power. The pilot selected a remote gravel bar along a river as a forced landing site. During the forced landing, the airplane slid across a shallow creek and impacted the river bank, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. According to the pilot, before the airplane could be recovered, the wreckage was subjected to rising creek waters, which washed the airplane’s logbooks downstream. The engine was not made available and was not examined and thus no determination was made as to why the engine lost power. ## Factual narrative On August 25, 2012, about 1300 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna U206D airplane, N729RV, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, following a loss of engine power, near Nikolai, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross country flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Palmer, Alaska at 1137. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on August 27, the pilot stated that he was in level cruise flight when the engine lost oil pressure, followed by smoke in the cockpit, and a total loss of engine power. He made a forced landing to a gravel bar on the Kuskokwim River. On landing the airplane slid across a shallow creek and impacted the river bank, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. In the pilot’s written statement to the NTSB received on December 2, 2012, he reported that the airplane’s wreckage was not recovered until August 28, and during that time, rising creek waters partially submerged the airplane’s wreckage, which washed all of the contents of the airplane downstream, including all of the accident airplane’s engine and airframe logbooks. Due to the remote location, the airplane was not examined by the NTSB at the accident site, and the engine was not made available to the NTSB, and thus no determination was made as to why the engine lost power. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N729RV](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N729RV-2013-06-27), registration cancelled 2013-06-27, S/N U206-1283, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA U206D - Registry model: [Cessna U206D](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-u206d) (registry code 2073342) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: U206-1283 - Engines: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: PAAQ, Palmer, AK - Destination: PANI, Aniak, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 4,800 total, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 210° at 13 knots, gusting 23 - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,600 ft overcast - Temperature: 50 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 29.76 inHg - Observed at: PAMC, 72 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20120825018529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120825018529A), Aug 25, 2012: Cessna U206D, Aniak, AK, Substantial damage. Aircraft departed palmer Alaska (paq) enroute to Aniak Alaska (ani), while in level cruise flight, engine began to lose oil pressure, pilot attempted to divert… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 9, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84824. 3.8 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40383641&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF 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. --- 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.