Accident Details
On August 21, 2018, about 1830 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 185 airplane, registration N8041R, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Kaktovik, Alaska. The airline transport pilot was uninjured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pilot Account
The pilot stated that he was on a multi-leg trip to find a hunting camp along the remote Kangakut River. Before the flight, he filled the fuel tanks to capacity (84 gallons total, 78 gallons usable). Before the third leg, he checked fuel levels with a dipstick, which indicated about 15 gallons in each tank. At the end of the third leg, while approaching a river gravel bar, the engine lost power, forcing the pilot to make a straight-ahead landing. He advanced the throttle to full and confirmed that the mixture and propeller controls were full forward. The propeller was windmilling. As he neared the landing surface, he activated the auxiliary fuel pump; engine power was restored, but the airplane was too low to recover and impacted brush-covered terrain. The main landing gear sheared off, and the airplane slid off the riverbank, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, left elevator, and right lift strut.
Examination and Testing
The airplane was recovered and examined. The engine was intact and attached to the airframe, with no damage to the engine, lines, or accessories. The propeller rotated smoothly when turned by hand. Fuel was present in the fuel filter bowl and line to the engine. The wings were removed during recovery; the recovery crew noted very little fuel in one tank and none in the other. The pilot reported observing a fuel leak from the left wing fuel vent at the accident scene and provided photographic evidence. After replacing the damaged propeller and supplying fuel to the engine, a test run revealed no anomalies.
Flight Data Analysis
The pilot provided GPS data from the flight, indicating a total flight time of 4.5 hours before the accident. The Cessna 185 pilot operating handbook lists a fuel consumption rate between 11.1 and 14.2 gallons per hour for cruise conditions at 2,500 ft mean sea level, with 2,200 to 2,400 rpm and 22 to 24 inches manifold pressure. GPS data showed that the loss of power occurred after the pilot completed two tight turns over the intended landing area. The last turn was to the left at a rate of 6.4° per second, over twice that of a standard-rate turn.