Accident Overview
On August 12, 2022, at 1502 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 180 airplane, registration N6577A, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and brush during a forced landing near Sutton-Alpine, Alaska. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight Details
The pilot reported departing from his home airport, Anderson Lake Airport (0AK1) in Wasilla, Alaska, at about 1300 with 37 gallons of fuel onboard. Approximately two hours into the flight, while at 7,500 ft mean sea level, the engine lost total power. The pilot assumed the loss was due to fuel starvation. He was unable to restart the engine and maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing in a canyon. Impact with trees and brush left the airplane upright in a nose-low attitude.
Pilot Statements
The pilot later reported that before the flight he had fueled the airplane from his personal 500-gallon fuel tank, and that the airplane had about three hours of fuel for the two-hour flight. During the emergency descent, the pilot only accomplished a couple of troubleshooting items in an attempt to restart the engine and could not recall if he attempted to prime the engine. He also stated to the FAA that he was low on fuel when the engine lost power.
Postaccident Examination
Responding FAA inspectors reported substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and horizontal stabilizer. Initial examination of the engine revealed no signs of catastrophic failure or oil leak. The throttle and mixture control linkages were intact and operational from cockpit controls to the carburetor. The main fuel line to the carburetor was removed and fuel was present. When the main fuel shutoff valve in the cockpit was selected from OFF to BOTH, about 2 oz of fuel drained from the main fuel line. The carburetor was removed; fuel sprayed into the carburetor venturi when the throttle linkage was moved, indicating the fuel accelerator pump was operational. The fuel strainer (gascolator) was disassembled, revealing a pink-red fuzzy material and some debris on the strainer screen. There was not enough debris to obstruct fuel flow. The fuel strainer remained undamaged and did not contain any fuel. Inspectors were unable to determine if any fuel leaked from the fuel tanks at the accident site or during recovery, but there were signs of fuel staining on the airplane. Minimal fuel was found in the tanks during the examination.
Follow-up Engine Examination
A subsequent examination by the NTSB involved rotating the crankshaft without issue; suction and compression were obtained from each cylinder. The magnetos produced a spark at each ignition lead as the engine was rotated. The examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.