Cessna U206G accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska, May 27, 2015
On May 27, 2015 at about 2:42 am local time, a 1978 Cessna U206G, registered N888KD, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Port Alsworth, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person 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 inadequate preflight and mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2015 · about 2:42 am local time
- Place
- Port Alsworth, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206G, built 1978 · all U206Gs on the register
- Registration
- N888KD · no longer on the register · serial U20604321
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while on a cross-country flight, in a single engine airplane, and as the airplane was about 30 miles from the destination, the engine began to surge and lose power. In an attempt to restore full engine power, he switched the fuel selector valve from the right fuel tank to the left tank, placed the fuel mixture to the full rich position, and turned on the auxiliary engine fuel boost pump. He said that the engine regained full power momentarily, but when the airplane was about 17 miles for the destination, the engine began surging again. He placed the fuel selector valve back to the right tank, but engine power was not restored. The pilot then selected a mountainous tundra-covered ridgeline as a forced landing site. During touchdown on the soft terrain, the nose wheel struck an object beneath the tundra, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The day after the accident, during a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), the pilot stated that he had failed to verify the amount of fuel onboard before departing. In the pilot's written statement to the NTSB, which was completed and submitted by the pilot's attorney, dated 11 days after the accident, he reported that 20 days before the accident he had the airplane fueled and verified that the fuel tanks were full. He stated that he flew two short flights, then the airplane sat for 12 days until the day of the accident flight. The accident flight occurred a day early and followed a different route than the pilot had anticipated to fly. The pilot stated that they flew extra miles and encountered significant headwinds and decreased ground speed before the engine began surging.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,528 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 2,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 24, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,506 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 14, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO 520F (piston); 2,381 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Koliganek AK
- Destination: AK51 Port Alsworth AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.