Cessna C-207 incident near Near Dillingham, Alaska, September 21, 1982
On September 21, 1982 at about 10:28 pm local time, a Cessna C-207, registered N7394U, suffered minor damage in an incident near Near Dillingham, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1982 · about 10:28 pm local time
- Place
- Near Dillingham, Alaska · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna C-207
- Registration
- N7394U · no longer on the register · serial 20700437
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A POWER FAILURE. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN THE POWER LOSS OCCURRED HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE LEFT TANK TO THE RIGHT TANK AND SELECTED "MAX HI-ON" ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP. HIS ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT AFTER THE MISHAP HE CHECKED BOTH FUEL TANKS; THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS PARTIALLY FULL. HE ALSO STATED THAT ON A PREVIOUS FLIGHT THAT DAY, FUEL WAS SIPHONING FROM THE LEFT TANK, BUT THE CONDITION ALLEVIATED ITSELF WHEN HE RESECURED THE FUEL CAP. FUEL SIPHONING USUALLY OCCURRS WHEN THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL BLADDER IS NOT SECURED AND THE BLADDER COLLAPSES UPWARD. THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE ERRONEOUS FUEL QUANTITY INDICATIONS. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL INDICATED THAT ACTUATION OF THE "MAX HI-ON" HALF OF THE FUEL BOOST PUMP SWITCH DURING ENGINE RESTART CAN CAUSE FLOODING OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLDS.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,845 hours in all; 601 in this make and model; 377 in the last 90 days; 6,609 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,738 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Yute Air Alaska INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Manakotak AK at 2:00 pm
- Destination: DLG Dillingham AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 25 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 122°F (50°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.