Cessna U206G accident near Homer, Alaska, August 19, 2010
On August 19, 2010 at about 10:08 pm local time, a Cessna U206G, registered N9815M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Homer, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, resulting in an off-airport emergency landing and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2010 · about 10:08 pm local time
- Place
- Homer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206G · all U206Gs on the register
- Registration
- N9815M · no longer on the register · serial U20604572
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during descent, about 18 miles east of the destination airport, the airplane experienced a sudden and complete loss of engine power. After several unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine, the pilot made an emergency landing on a glacier. During the landing roll the airplane encountered a crevasse and nosed over. After the landing, the pilot reported seeing fuel leaking from both fuel caps on top of the wings and from the engine cowling. After the airplane was recovered, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector removed about 8 gallons of fuel from each of the two main fuel tanks. Fuel was also found in both header tanks. The inspector said the fuel appeared to be clear and free of water and other contaminants and flowed freely from the fuel tanks to the engine. The airplane was refueled prior to the flight, and fuel samples from the commercial fuel facility showed no signs of contamination. The engine was installed on an engine test stand and run through a series of power settings. No oil/fuel leaks or mechanical anomalies were found. No reason for the loss of engine power was discovered during the postaccident inspections.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Emergency descent initiated during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Inoperative
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,200 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 193 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 12, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,754 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 16, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Homer Air Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PAHO Homer AK at 1:50 pm
- Destination: PAHO Homer AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.