Cessna 207 accident near Alakanuk, Alaska, December 15, 1997
On December 15, 1997 at about 5:18 pm local time, a Cessna 207, registered N707FY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alakanuk, Alaska (Alakanuk airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's mismanagement of the airplane's fuel which led to the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1997 · about 5:18 pm local time
- Place
- Alakanuk, Alaska · Alakanuk · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N707FY · no longer on the register · serial 20700063
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a CFR Part 135 cargo flight that included several stops. During the trip, the pilot indicated he operated the airplane on the right fuel tank for 30 minutes. During the balance of trip, the pilot utilized the left fuel tank. Just prior to landing at the accident destination the engine began to run rough and sputter. The pilot switched the fuel selector from the left fuel tank to the right tank, and activated the engine boost pump. The engine did not respond, and the pilot switched back to the left tank while activating the engine starter. The pilot noticed the airplane was too high to land at the approach end of the destination airport runway, and he selected an emergency landing area off the departure end of the runway. During the landing, the airplane collided with numerous trees, and received damage to the left wing, fuselage, and landing gear. The Director of Operations for the operator reported that following the accident he inspected the accident airplane. The inspection revealed no fuel in the left wing fuel tank, and no fuel in the left fuel reservoir tank. The operator indicated there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane.
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: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,592 hours in all; 207 in this make and model; 142 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 1,433 as pilot in command; 584 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,391 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 10, 1997; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENM Emmonak AK at 5:13 pm
- Destination: AUK
- Runway 18, 2,200 ft by 55 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.