What happened
On September 24, 2024, a Cessna 206, registration N8255Q, was involved in an accident near Chalkyitsik, Alaska. The aircraft, operated by Kavik Aviation Services LLC, was performing a positioning flight from Circle City to transport fuel to a remote location.
While on a remote gravel bar adjacent to the Porcupine River, the pilot allowed two hunters to assist in refueling the aircraft using 15-gallon plastic drums from a local fuel stash. The fuel was transferred into the airplane's tanks using a pump without the use of filters. After a 12-minute ground stop, the aircraft departed to the northwest. Witnesses reported hearing the engine sputter immediately after takeoff. The aircraft then banked sharply to the right, and the right wing struck the water. The airplane cartwheeled into the river, spinning approximately 270 degrees before becoming partially submerged.
The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury due to drowning and blunt force head trauma.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's fuel system and found significant evidence of water contamination. Examination of the unmetered fuel line, the fuel line from the metering valve to the manifold, and the fuel flow manifold revealed varying ratios of fuel and water. Additionally, dirty water was observed in both the left and right header tanks.
One of the 15-gallon drums at the site was later inspected by another company pilot, revealing approximately 8 ounces of water in the remaining 8 gallons of fuel. The investigation also determined that the fuel pump used during the refueling process lacked a filter, as the filter had been removed after becoming plugged and was never replaced. Furthermore, a filtering funnel previously used at the fuel stash had been lost and not replaced.
Postmortem toxicology testing found trace amounts of codeine and morphine in the pilot's urine, but none in the blood, suggesting these were not contributing factors. The presence of hydroxychloroquine was also noted but determined to be unlikely to have contributed to the accident.
Findings
- The pilot did not sump the airplane's fuel tanks before departure.
- No filters were used during the fuel transfer process from the drums to the aircraft.
- The operator's fuel stash lacked functional filtering equipment because the filter and filtering funnel had not been replaced.
- The pilot did not examine the fuel drums for water contamination prior to use.