Cessna U206E accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 9, 2011
On July 9, 2011 at about 11:16 pm local time, a Cessna U206E, registered N9129M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Anchorage, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to depart with minimal fuel and his improper fuel management and engine restart procedures, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the Pilot Operating Handbook did not provide the altitude or time that would be lost in the event of an engine restart.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2011 · about 11:16 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206E · all U206Es on the register
- Registration
- N9129M · no longer on the register · serial U20601529
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning from a remote lodge when the airplane’s engine lost power, resulting in an off airport emergency landing. During the landing, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that prior to departure from the lodge, there were 26 gallons of fuel in the right main fuel tank, and 8 to 10 gallons in the left main fuel tank. He commonly used the fuel in the right tank for the flight, and the left tank fuel was the reserve supply. When the engine lost power, he switched fuel tanks, and held the emergency fuel boost pump on for about 3 seconds. When the engine did not respond, he moved the fuel lever back and forth, turned the boost pump on, and moved the fuel mixture control to the full rich position. Unable to restart the engine, he made an off airport emergency landing. The right front seat passenger said that prior to takeoff, he asked the pilot if they had enough fuel, because all four fuel gauges were on or near the empty mark. An examination of the airplane revealed that the right main fuel tank was empty, and about 3 inches of fuel remained in the left main fuel tank. The left header tank was full, and the right header tank contained a small quantity of fuel and water. No mechanical anomalies were found with the fuel system. The engine was test run and it operated satisfactorily. According to the airplane’s Pilot Operating Handbook (POH), the minimum fuel for the flight (without the required VFR reserve) would have been about 26.8 gallons. The POH treats the running of a fuel tank below a usable level in-flight as a normal operating procedure, but has very specific guidelines for engine restart. The pilot did not follow those procedures. The POH does not discuss the altitude lost or time required for a successful engine restart. Considering the witnesses’ observations, the postaccident examination of the fuel system and the successful engine operation, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently ran the right main fuel tank below a usable level. Due to the low altitude, time available, and his incorrect restart procedure, he was unable to get the engine restarted to avoid an off-airport landing. Eighty-nine fuel related accidents involving Cessna single-engine airplanes were reviewed, disclosing that 52 of those accidents were initiated by a fuel tank either being intentionally or unintentionally run below a usable level. All 89 accidents resulted from the pilot not being able to get the engine restarted. Of the major airplane manufacturers producing piston engine powered airframes, Cessna is the only one that places a loss of engine power due to intentionally running a fuel tank below a usable level in the “Normal” operating section of its POH.
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
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › Manufacturer
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 14,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,845 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 8, 2011
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Great Northern Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Lake Marie Lodg AK at 5:45 pm
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N9129M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
1997-09-02ANC97LA138 · accident near Mcgrath, AK · substantial damage · serious injuries
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.