Cessna 207 N91029

Summary

On 6 February 1998 at about 16:45 local time, a Cessna 207 registered N91029 was involved in an accident near Homer, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 February 1998 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Homer, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Homer (PAHO)

Coordinates

59.4005, -151.3208

Aircraft

Cessna 207

Registration

N91029

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → English Bay

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC98FA019

1 person died.

A fatigue failure, and partial separation of the number 6 engine cylinder head assembly, the operator's inadequate progressive inspection performed by company maintenance personnel, and the pilot's inadvertent stall during a maneuvering turn toward an emergency landing area.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certificated commercial pilot was departing on a 14 CFR 135 cargo flight. The airplane lifted off and climbed to about 200 feet. Instead of turning right toward the intended destination, the airplane began a left turn toward the runway. The angle of bank increased to about 45 degrees. The airplane then nosed down, and descended into snow covered terrain, about 200 yards north of the runway. Examination of the engine revealed the number six cylinder head was fractured, and slightly separated from the cylinder barrel. The area around the point of separation was blackened and oily. Similar discoloration was noted on the inside of the engine cowl. A metallurgical examination of the cylinder head revealed a fatigue fracture along a large segment of the thread root radius between the 5th and 6th threads. The engine's cylinder compression is part of the operator's approved airworthiness inspection program. The number six cylinder compression, recorded 121 hours before the accident, was noted as 60 PSI. The last engine inspection, 27 hours before the accident, did not include a record of the engine compression.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.