Rockwell 500 N909AK
29 May 2020 · Aniak, Alaska, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 29 May 2020 at about 00:00 local time, a Rockwell 500 registered N909AK, operated by State Of Alaska, was involved in an accident near Aniak, Alaska, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Aniak, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 61.5817, -159.5431
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 500
- Registration
- N909AK
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1975
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- State Of Alaska
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Aniak → Soldotna
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC20LA050
People
4 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to the use of improper fuel. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the pilot and ground personnel to ensure that the airplane was serviced with the proper fuel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
After landing at the airport, the pilot had ground service personnel refuel the airplane. According to the fueler, he queried the pilot if he wanted Prist with his jet fuel, which the pilot replied, “No.” After completing the refueling process, he returned to his truck, wrote "Jet A" in the meter readings section of the prepared receipt, and presented it to the pilot for his signature. The pilot said that shortly after takeoff, he noticed a reduction in climb performance, and the airplane's engines began to lose power. Unable to maintain altitude, he selected an area of shallow water-covered terrain as a forced landing site. During the landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane, which was equipped with reciprocating engines, had been inadvertently serviced with Jet A turbine fuel. A slightly degraded placard near the fuel port on the top of the wing stated, in part: "FUEL 100/100LL MINIMUM GRADE AVIATION GASOLINE ONLY CAPACITY 159.6 US GALLONS." In an interview, the fueler who serviced the airplane stated that he did not see a fuel placard near the fueling port.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Rockwell 500 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 2020 | Rockwell 500 | Pembroke Park, Florida, United States | Conquest Air | Fatal | 2 |
| 3 Jul 2014 | Rockwell 500 S | Willcox, Arizona, United States | American East Airways Corp | No injuries | - |
| 8 Apr 2011 | Rockwell 500-S | Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States | United States Department of Commerce | No injuries | - |
| 5 Dec 2008 | Rockwell 500-S | Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States | United States Department of Commerce | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 2007 | Rockwell 500S | Melbourne, VIC, Australia | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 19 Mar 2003 | Rockwell 500-S | Chickaloon, Alaska, United States | State of Alaska Division of Forestry | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Aug 2020 | Piper PA 20 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Feb 2020 | Cessna 172 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Feb 2020 | Cessna 208 | Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States | Grant Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 2020 | Piper PA31 | Buckland, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 2020 | Cessna 172R | Hope, Alaska, United States | Elmendorf Air Force Base Aero Club | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 May 2020 | Grumman G44 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |