Accident Overview
On May 22, 2017, about 1823 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna U206F airplane, registration N9575G, was destroyed following a fire while taxiing after landing at a remote unimproved off-airport landing site near Noatak, Alaska. The airplane was registered to and operated by Golden Eagle Outfitters under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as a visual flight rules flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight had departed Ralph Wein Memorial Airport (OTZ) in Kotzebue, Alaska, at about 1800.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that after landing, he taxied to the end of the strip and turned around while raising the flaps. Immediately after, he felt heat on the left side of his face. He glanced out the left side pilot window, then turned his head to the right and noticed flames in the aft cabin near the right-side cargo door. Both the pilot and passenger exited the airplane. The pilot attempted to regain access through the right-side cargo door but was unable due to the heat and flames.
Items Onboard
The passenger provided a list of items onboard at the time of the accident. These included: two duffel bags with personal and camping gear; two action packers with camp food and research supplies; two sealed packages of AA and AAA alkaline batteries; two laptop computers equipped with lithium batteries; a partial can of Coleman camp stove fuel and a camp stove; a sealed 12-volt battery; a field shovel; a soil probe; and a stream flow meter.
Maintenance History
A review of the airplane's maintenance records revealed that on March 11, 2017, the right main fuel bladder had been replaced, and a new fuel bladder assembly installed with new gaskets and clips. Additionally, the fuel selector was replaced with a rebuilt fuel selector.
Examination Findings
On July 13, 2017, the NTSB investigator-in-charge, along with a Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector from the Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office and a representative from Textron Aviation, examined the airframe and engine at the facilities of Alaska Claims Services, Inc., in Wasilla, Alaska. The cockpit, baggage area, right wing, left wing fuel cell, and fuselage section forward of the vertical stabilizer, along with the airplane's contents, were largely consumed by fire. The fuel selector was located and exhibited extensive thermal damage. The fuel lines were melted through, but all the B-nuts attaching the aluminum fuel lines to the fuel selector appeared to be in place.