Cessna T207 N745KP accident near Juneau, Alaska

Probable cause

The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot was conducting a scheduled commuter flight with four passengers onboard. During a visual approach about 3 miles from the destination airport, the engine lost total power while over water. The pilot selected the other fuel tank and turned the auxiliary fuel pump on; however, engine power was not restored. He ditched the airplane near a rugged island beach, and he and the four passengers egressed and swam ashore. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing.

The pilot reported that he departed with about 1.5 hours of fuel available in the right wing fuel tank and additional fuel in the left tank. The airplane flew two short segments, a total of about 0.9 hours, with the right fuel tank selected before the loss of engine power. When the wreckage was recovered, 2 gallons of fuel were drained from the right tank, which was less than the unusable amount of 3.5 gallons, and less than the expected 10 gallons remaining based on average fuel consumption and flight time. If or how much fuel may have escaped through vents while the airplane was submerged could not be determined.

A postaccident airframe and engine examination revealed moderate wrinkling throughout the fuel tank bladders, likely the result of sea water submersion. The vented fuel caps, fuel senders, filter screens, and the auxiliary fuel pump were intact. The fuel selector valve operated normally. The fuel tank air vents were in place and clear of blockages. A successful engine test run was performed at multiple power settings with the fuel drained from the airplane. There was no evidence of fuel system leaks or anomalies that would have resulted in a loss of engine power.

The airplane had a history of power loss events that were attributed by company management to poor checklist use, inadequate fuel management, and vapor lock; however, company pilots reported that the right fuel tank often contained less fuel than expected after a flight. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the total loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation; however, why the quantity in the selected tank was less than planned given the engine fuel flow and time en route could not be determined based on the available information. It is possible that engine power was not restored after selecting the fuller fuel tank due to air in the fuel lines and subsequent vapor lock.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC17LA043 for the full record.