Cessna 207 accident near Bethel, Alaska, March 6, 2013
On March 6, 2013 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 207, registered N1704U, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bethel, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the engine’s No. 1 piston connecting rod retaining bolts due to fatigue fracturing, which resulted in a loss of engine power during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 2013 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207, built 1975 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N1704U · registry record · serial 20700304
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after departure on the commercial passenger/cargo flight, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot conducted a forced landing on a snow-covered, sparsely treed, tundra area. Just before touchdown, the left stabilizer struck treetops, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. A preliminary examination of the engine revealed a crack in the crankcase. A subsequent examination of the No. 1 piston assembly revealed fatigue fractures in both connecting rod retaining bolts. Additional internal engine damage was found to be consistent with damage caused by the release of the connecting rod from the crankshaft.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 20,000 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 102 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 28, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 31,641 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 29, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 1,330 hours total
- Operator: Flight Alaska Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PABE Bethel AK at 9:18 pm
- Destination: PALG Kalskag AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 28.43 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PABE, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N1704U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.