Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bethel, Alaska 99559
Friday, August 8, 2003 12:53 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial certificated pilot was conducting a non-scheduled domestic cargo flight carrying mail, and the airplane was in cruise flight about 1,000 feet agl when the engine lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing in rough, tundra covered terrain. During the landing, the airplane nosed over. The engine was overhauled 1090.9 hours before the accident. During the overhaul process, the engine case was sent to a vendor to be welded and rebored to match original engine case specifications. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the number 1 main bearing was deformed in its bearing saddle, and portions of the number 2 main bearing were flattened, fractured and fragmented, and were found in the engine case. The number 2 bearing saddle was extensively distorted and gouged. The engine crankshaft was fractured at the radius of the number 2 main bearing and the number 3 crankshaft cheek, adjacent to the main bearing surface. The fracture surface had discoloration consistent with high heat, and beach marks consistent with fatigue. The area of the number 2 engine bearing saddle, under the bearing insert, had several areas of cracking and exfoliation of the case material along the edges of the oil supply channel. No evidence of engine case fretting was observed during the examination. The engine case was examined by the manufacturer's metallurgical personnel. The report of examination stated that the case contained no signs of lubrication distress on the journals. The manufacturer's metallurgist stated that a determination of a weld repair at the number 2 main bearing support could not be made with a high degree of certainty, although there were several work order stamps on the crankcase indicating that it had been reworked.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A complete loss of engine power during cruise flight due to the shifting of a main crankshaft bearing that produced a fatigue failure of the crankshaft. A factor contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing, which resulted in a nose over .
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/8/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1253 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Bethel |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99559 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 605300N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1615700W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 135 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PABE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 123 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.27 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15255 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 8 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1340 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2004 3:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6439H |
| NTSB Number | ANC03LA091 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 207A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20700525 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 8 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 14408 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Gussic Ventures |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7325 Foxridge Cir. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anchorage |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99518 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Hageland Aviation Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O Box 220610 |
| Operator City | Anchorage |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99522 |
| Operator Code | EPUA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TLT |
| Departure City | Tuluksak |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1245 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 4A2 |
| Destination City | Atmautluak |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2004 2:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |