Cessna 206 N19BR

Summary

On 25 May 1995 at about 18:00 local time, a Cessna 206 registered N19BR, operated by Arctic Circle Air Service Inc., was involved in an accident near Bethel, 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

25 May 1995 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Bethel, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.8093, -161.8499

Aircraft

Cessna 206

Registration

N19BR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Arctic Circle Air Service Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Chevak

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC95LA058

Nobody was injured.

A FAILURE OF THE #2 MAIN ENGINE BEARING AND SUBSEQUENT FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE COMMERCIAL PILOT DEPARTED ON AN AIR TAXI CARGO FLIGHT TO A REMOTE DESTINATION. ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT, AND THE PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON ROUGH TERRAIN IN A STREAM BED. AFTER RECOVERY OF THE AIRPLANE 5 MONTHS LATER, AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE #2 MAIN BEARING HAD FAILED AND THE CRANKSHAFT HAD FRACTURED THROUGH THE CRANK CHEEK BETWEEN THE #2 ROD AND #2 MAIN BEARING JOURNALS. THE #2 MAIN BEARING WAS SEVERELY FRAGMENTED AND DEFORMED, AND THE NUMBER 2 MAIN BEARING SADDLE WAS SEVERELY DEFORMED. A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE CRANKSHAFT INDICATED THAT IT HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE. THE EXAMINATION ALSO DISCLOSED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT CONFORMED TO THE MANUFACTURER'S MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR HARDNESS AND NITRIDING. RECORDS SHOWED THE ENGINE HAD BEEN REBUILT BY THE MANUFACTURER ON 7/23/92 AND INSTALLED IN THE AIRPLANE ON 9/3/92. AFTER BEING REBUILT, IT HAD ACCUMULATED 1154 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME. AT 1004 HOURS, THE OIL PUMP HAD BEEN SERVICED DUE TO LOW OIL PRESSURE. DURING A 100 HOUR INSPECTION AT 1140 HOURS, METAL WAS FOUND IN THE OIL FILTER AND THE #4 CYLINDER WAS CHANGED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.