Cessna 207A N9794M

Summary

On 21 November 2021 at about 02:55 local time, a Cessna 207A registered N9794M, operated by Paklook Air Inc, was involved in an accident near Bethel, Alaska, United States. 6 people were 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

21 November 2021 at 02:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Bethel, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Bethel (BET)

Coordinates

60.7792, -161.8368

Aircraft

Cessna 207A

Registration

N9794M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Paklook Air Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ANC22LA007

Nobody was injured.

The improper installation of an avionics wire harness over a fuel line, which resulted in chafing of the wire harness, arcing, and a subsequent fire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a scheduled air taxi flight with five passengers onboard. Shortly after departure, the pilot began to smell an electrical burn odor, and he elected to return to the airport. About 1 minute later, the electrical burn smell intensified, which was followed by visible smoke in the cockpit, and the pilot declared an emergency to the tower. After landing and all the passengers had safely departed the airplane, heavy smoke filled the cockpit and passenger compartment, and the pilot saw a candle-like flame just behind the pilot and co-pilot seats, just beneath the floorboards of the airplane. Moments later, the airplane was engulfed in flames. Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed the origin of the fire to be centered behind the pilot’s row of seats, where a wire harness was found improperly installed on top of the aft fuel line from the left tank. Examination of the wire harness found a range of thermal and electrical damage consistent with chafing from the fuel line. It is likely that the installation of the wire harness permitted contact with the fuel line, which resulted in chafing, arcing, and the subsequent fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.