Cessna 185F N23CB

Summary

On 2 January 1997 at about 16:02 local time, a Cessna 185F registered N23CB, operated by Bruce H. Tweet, was involved in an accident near Nome, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 January 1997 at 16:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Nome, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

64.7098, -164.6203

Aircraft

Cessna 185F

Registration

N23CB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bruce H. Tweet

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC97LA017

1 person had minor injuries.

the pilot's failure to properly verify the position of a fractured fuel selector handle, which resulted in fuel starvation and subsequent loss of engine power. A factor related to the accident was: the fractured handle that allowed the fuel selector to be rotated to an OFF position.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and passenger prepared to depart on a volunteer search and rescue flight. A front seat belt became lodged under the fuel selector handle located on the cockpit floor between the two front seats. When the seat belt was pulled loose, the long, pointer end of the fuel selector handle snapped off. The pilot positioned the remaining portion of the fuel selector to what appeared to be the 'BOTH' position. Just after takeoff, the engine suddenly quit, and the pilot performed an emergency landing on snow covered terrain. Following the accident, the pilot discovered he had positioned the fuel selector to the 'OFF' position. The loss of the pointer end of the selector handle allowed the selector to rotate 360 degrees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.