- Date
- March 3, 2017, 08:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Metlakatla, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N103AFBeech G18
- Defining event
- Approach-IFR missed approach: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Jueau FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170303017839A
- Case key
- 94807
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An engine power loss for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane was not recovered.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the twin-engine airplane and the pilot-rated passenger reported that, during a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions, at 2,000 ft mean sea level, the right engine seized. The pilot attempted to feather the right engine by pulling the propeller control to the feather position; however, the engine did not feather. The airplane would not maintain level flight, so the pilot navigated to a known airport, and the passenger made emergency communications with air traffic control. The pilot was unable to maintain visual reference with the ground until the airplane descended through about 100 to 200 ft and the visibility was 1 statute mile. The pilot stated that he was forced to ditch the airplane in the water about 5 miles short of the airport. The pilot and passenger egressed the airplane and swam ashore before it sank in about 89 ft of water. Both the pilot and passenger reported that there was postimpact fire on the surface of the water. The airplane was not recovered, which precluded a postaccident examination. Thus, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Factual narrative
***This report was modified on 6/2/2020. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** The pilot of the twin engine airplane and the pilot rated passenger reported that during a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions, at 2,000 ft mean sea level, the right engine seized. The pilot attempted to feather the right engine by pulling the propeller control to the feather position; however, the engine did not feather. The airplane would not maintain level flight, so the pilot navigated over the water toward a known airport in front of the airplane and the passenger made emergency communications with air traffic control. The pilot was unable to maintain visual reference with the ground until the airplane descended through about 100 to 200 ft and the visibility was 1 statute mile. The pilot stated that he was forced to ditch the airplane in the water about 5 miles short of the airport and that the nose of the airplane separated from the fuselage during impact. The pilot and the passenger egressed the airplane and swam ashore before it sank in about 89 ft of water. Both the pilot and passenger reported that there was post impact fire on the surface of the water. The airplane was not recovered which precluded a postaccident examination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N103AF
- Reported as
- Beech G18 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BA-526
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 17,646.7
- Engines
- Pratt and Whitney R-985-AN-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocatingPratt and Whitney R-985-AN-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2016
- Departed
- AKW · Klawock, AK
- Destination
- KTN · Ketchikan, AK
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 2, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10,308 total · 330 in this make and model · 10,102 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Remote, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 14 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.45 inHg
- Observed at
- PANT, 3 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 21, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.