N27GP

On March 12, 2025, at 1450 eastern daylight time, a Cessna TU206G, N27GP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Orlando, Florida. The pilot and pilot rated passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight.

The airplane departed from Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), Orlando, Florda, about 1440, for an observation flight that was expected to last about 4 hours 30 minutes. According to the pilot, about 10 minutes after takeoff, at an altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level (agl), the engine “stopped.” The pilot verified the ignition switch position, changed fuel tanks, and verified the mixture control position, but he was unable to restart the engine and subsequently elected to make an emergency landing near a canal. The area was long enough; however, it was not wide enough, and the left wing contacted trees before the airplane came to a sudden stop.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, about 30 gallons of aviation fuel spilled from the left wing and about 70 gallons of fuel remained contained within the airplane. The airplane was equipped with an engine data monitor which was recovered. Initial examination of the engine did not reveal any evidence of a catastrophic engine failure or fuel leaks. The engine contained about 8 quarts of oil in the oil sump.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.