Accident Details
On November 20, 2022, at about 1140 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 207 airplane, registration N23CF, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Bethel, Alaska. The aircraft was operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 passenger flight with a commercial pilot and six passengers aboard, none of whom were injured. The flight had departed Goodnews Bay Airport (GNU) at 1035 en route to Bethel Airport (BET).
While cruising at 1,000 ft above ground level, approximately 8 minutes from BET, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot performed emergency procedures but was unable to restore engine power, leading to a forced landing on an area of ice-covered frozen tundra about 10 miles southeast of the airport. After landing, the pilot contacted the operator’s dispatch for rescue.
Examination
Photographs taken at the accident site revealed substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. An examination of the airplane before recovery showed that the left fuel tank was full, containing about 40 gallons of fuel, while the right fuel tank was empty. When electrical power was applied, the fuel indicating system displayed the left tank as nearly full and the right tank as empty.
The aircraft was recovered to Bethel Airport for an engine examination. During this inspection, no fuel was found in the fuel lines running from the fuel selector in the cockpit to the engine. The damaged propeller was removed and a serviceable propeller installed. With the engine fuel boost pump activated, the engine started and ran normally. A visual inspection of the engine revealed no abnormalities.
Pilot's Account
The pilot later stated that he believed the engine had an oil pump issue and was concerned about using the fuel boost pump, fearing that he might be adding fuel to a potential fire. He indicated that he had little time to troubleshoot the engine problem, as his primary focus was finding a safe place to land. At about 75 to 100 ft above the ground, he switched the fuel selector to the left tank but did not turn on the fuel boost pump. The Cessna 207 fuel selector can only be positioned to the left or right fuel tank, and it is the operator’s procedure to change the selected fuel tank at the midpoint of the flight.