Cessna 206A accident near Cordova, Alaska, August 15, 1999
On August 15, 1999 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 206A, registered N4605F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cordova, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
A loss of engine power due to corrosion/blockage of the fuel flow divider vent hole. A factor was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1999 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cordova, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206A · all 206As on the register
- Registration
- N4605F · registry record · serial P206-0205
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot departed from his company's fishing lodge to begin a cross-country business flight. About 300 feet above the ground, the engine suddenly quit. The pilot switched fuel tanks, activated the engine boost pump, and began a turn into the wind. The engine did not restart. The pilot selected an open area of marsh for an emergency landing area. When the airplane touched down, the nose wheel separated from the nose wheel strut, and the airplane nosed down in the soft terrain. The airplane received damage to the engine, propeller, and the left wing. A postaccident examination of the engine by a mechanic found corrosion, and blockage of the vent hole of the engine manifold valve housing. The manifold valve is comprised of a fuel inlet, a diaphragm chamber, and outlet ports for fuel lines to each cylinder. The spring loaded diaphragm operates a valve in the central bore of the lower chamber of the valve body. Fuel pressure below the diaphragm opens the valve to allow fuel to flow to each cylinder. A spring above the diaphragm retains the valve in the closed position, absent any fuel pressure. The upper chamber of the valve housing, containing the spring, is vented to the atmosphere.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,967 hours in all; 1,725 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1,934 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,260 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 26, 1999; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alaska Expedition Company
The flight
- Destination: PACV AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 20 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°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.