Alaskan Air Adventures LLC SQ2 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, August 5, 2021
On August 5, 2021 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 2011 Alaskan Air Adventures LLC SQ2, registered N148CM, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Talkeetna, Alaska (Talkeetna Village Strip airport). It was a personal 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 inadvertent movement of the fuel selector valve to a position between the tanks, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2021 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · Talkeetna Village Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Alaskan Air Adventures LLC SQ2, built 2011
- Registration
- N148CM · registry record · serial TCQ1003064
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a preflight inspection with no anomalies noted. Then, after takeoff, about 50 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. The pilot elected to land the airplane straight ahead on the runway, however, there was not enough runway remaining to stop the airplane, so he maneuvered the airplane into vegetation on the side of the runway to avoid a runway overrun. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot noted that the fuel selector was in between the right and left fuel tank positions, which likely got “bumped prior to takeoff.” During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wings and right elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 initial climb defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Unnecessary action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Unintentional use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 12, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 23, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aerosport O-375-L4A (piston); 584 hours total
The flight
- Destination: IYS Wasilla AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 1,600 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from PATK, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PATK 051853Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 17/12 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP097 T01720122
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 18, 2022. 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 | Investigative 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.