Accident Overview
On August 28, 2020, at approximately 1100 mountain standard time, a Cessna TU206B, registration N3422L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tusayan, Arizona. The pilot sustained a minor injury. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 skydiving flight.
Flight Sequence
The pilot reported that after releasing several jumpers during skydiving operations near Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN), Grand Canyon, Arizona, he initiated a descent with power settings of 15 inches of manifold pressure, propeller at 2,200 rpm, and a fuel burn of 7.5 gallons per hour. Subsequently, the pilot was cleared to enter a midfield left downwind for runway 21. Once established on an extended downwind, the GCN control tower cleared the pilot to land on runway 21.
At 7,500 ft mean sea level, the pilot configured the airplane for landing with cowl flaps open, mixture full rich, and propeller control full forward. However, there was no response from the engine.
Forced Landing and Impact
With runway 21 unreachable, the pilot set up to land on Highway 64, located about 1,600 ft east of the approach end of runway 21. In preparation, he switched from the right to the left fuel tank, turned on the high and low pressure fuel pumps, and attempted to start the engine as the propeller was windmilling, but received no engine response. Prior to touchdown, during a right banking turn to align with the highway, the airplane's right wing collided with a light pole. The airplane flipped over and came to rest inverted in the middle of the two-lane highway, substantially damaging both wings, the fuselage, and the vertical stabilizer.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed that the engine remained attached to the airframe via three of the four engine mounts. The No. 5 cylinder sustained impact damage. No evidence of any fuel system breaches or damage was observed, and no mechanical anomalies with the engine were noted that would have precluded normal operation.
Upon removal of the airframe fuel filter, a small amount of liquid and debris was found in the bowl. The liquid tested positive for water using water finding paste. The fuel manifold housing also contained a liquid with a small amount of debris in the screen, which tested positive for water. Additionally, liquid recovered from a fuel pump cavity tested positive for water. The fuel inlet screen was mostly clogged with what appeared to be dirt and corrosion.
The airplane was equipped with a JPI-EDM 830 engine monitoring system. Data downloaded from the device indicated that the engine did not sustain a catastrophic event that would have resulted in a loss of engine power.