What happened
On November 20, 2022, at approximately 11:40 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 207, registration N23CF, was involved in an accident near Bethel, Alaska. The aircraft was operating as a Part 135 passenger flight, departing from Goodnews Bay Airport (GNU) at 10:35 for a scheduled flight to Bethel Airport (BET).
While cruising at 1,000 feet above ground level, approximately eight minutes from the destination, the engine suffered a partial loss of power. Although the pilot executed emergency procedures, the engine power could not be restored. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing on ice-covered frozen tundra roughly 10 miles southeast of the airport. The pilot and six passengers were not injured.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft at the site showed substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing. Investigators found that the left fuel tank contained approximately 40 gallons of fuel, while the right fuel tank was empty. The fuel indication system correctly showed the left tank as nearly full and the right tank as empty.
During the engine examination at Bethel Airport, no fuel was found in the lines between the cockpit fuel selector and the engine. However, once the engine fuel boost pump was utilized, the engine started and operated normally. A visual inspection of the engine revealed no abnormalities, and a serviceable propeller was installed following the removal of the damaged unit.
Findings
Investigation revealed that the aircraft's fuel selector is designed to operate in either the left or right tank position only. While the operator's standard procedure is to switch fuel tanks at the midpoint of a flight, the pilot indicated he likely forgot to perform this switch. The pilot also noted that during the descent, at an altitude of approximately 75 to 100 feet, he switched the selector to the left tank but did not activate the fuel boost pump.