Cessna U206D accident near Nikolai, Alaska, August 25, 2012
On August 25, 2012 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna U206D, registered N729RV, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Nikolai, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the engine was not made available for examination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2012 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Nikolai, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206D · all U206Ds on the register
- Registration
- N729RV · registry record · serial U206-1283
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that while in level cruise flight, the engine lost oil pressure, followed by smoke in the cockpit, and a total loss of engine power. The pilot selected a remote gravel bar along a river as a forced landing site. During the forced landing, the airplane slid across a shallow creek and impacted the river bank, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. According to the pilot, before the airplane could be recovered, the wreckage was subjected to rising creek waters, which washed the airplane’s logbooks downstream. The engine was not made available and was not examined and thus no determination was made as to why the engine lost power.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAAQ Palmer AK at 2:35 pm
- Destination: PANI Aniak AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 13 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from PAMC, 72 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.