Cessna 185 N80596

Summary

On 4 July 2008 at about 01:30 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N80596, operated by Ultima Thule Outfitters Inc., was involved in an accident near McCarthy, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 July 2008 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

McCarthy, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

55.9190, -159.4899

Aircraft

Cessna 185

Registration

N80596

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ultima Thule Outfitters Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ultima Thule → Chitina

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC08LA085

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper fuel management which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was an aerodynamic stall during the emergency landing, the pilot's fatigue, and his unfamiliarity with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The solo commercial pilot was on a flight in conjunction with a lodge operation under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot said that he ran one main fuel tank dry 10 minutes into the flight and that, after switching fuel tanks, he turned on the auxiliary fuel pump but was unable to restart the engine. During a forced landing on a sandbar, the airplane stalled about 10 feet in the air, landed hard, and nosed over, damaging the wings and fuselage. The pilot said that he had learned the procedure of running a fuel tank dry in-flight from a more experienced pilot and that it was a fairly common operating procedure. He reported that there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. He wrote that he thought fatigue and unfamiliarity with the airplane may have contributed to the accident. The airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) states that takeoff and landing should be made with the fuel tank selector valve in the "BOTH" position to prevent inadvertent operation on an empty tank. The POH further describes the procedure if the pilot "desires to completely exhaust a fuel tank quantity in flight." The restart procedure after the engine has quit due to fuel starvation is "immediately switch to a tank containing fuel at the first indication of fuel pressure fluctuation and/or power loss. Then place the right half of the auxiliary fuel pump switch in the "ON" position momentarily (3 to 5 seconds) with the throttle at least 1/2 open. Excessive use of the auxiliary fuel pump and full rich mixture can cause flooding of the engine."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.