Cessna 207 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, October 11, 2018
On October 11, 2018 at about 8:50 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 207, registered N6492H, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Anchorage, Alaska (Sleepers Strip airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power, and her subsequent failure to maintain clearance from trees during the approach to land at a nearby airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2018 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Sleepers Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 A, built 1979 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N6492H · registry record · serial 20700544
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while on a visual approach at 700 ft, the airplane lost all engine power. The pilot immediately recognized that the selected fuel tank was empty because she had forgotten to switch fuel tanks during the flight. She attempted to restore engine power by selecting the other fuel tank, which did have fuel remaining, and activating the auxiliary fuel pump. Partial engine power was restored, and the pilot decided to land at a nearby private airstrip. During the approach, the right wing struck a tree. The pilot continued the landing, and during the landing roll, the nosewheel contacted soft gravel, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 starvation during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 3,500 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 20, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 29,303.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 28, 2018; 97.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,803 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9AK3 Tyonek AK
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Runway 06, 1,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PAMR, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 24, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Record of Conversation (Allsup) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Passenger Record of Conversation (Munson) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.