OpenAirDocs.org

20250623007779A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna P206C · Port Graham, AK · June 23, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 23, 2025 · 15:30 local
Place
Port Graham, AK
Airport
Port Graham
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8630Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC25LA069
Reported as
Cessna P206C
People aboard
6
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,086 total17 in this make and model27 in the last 90 days
N8630ZRegistered now · Cessna P206CS/N P206-0430 · Built 1967Airframe modelCessna P206CEngine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Flight from homer, AK to Port Graham, AK with pilot and 5 pax. Winds at Port Graham were approximately 5 knots from the northwest and pilot elected to land on runway 30. Pilot experienced minor turbulence on the downwind and on short final, but final approach was stable. Pilot's assessment states, "at about 100 ft from the end of the runway and at about 50 ft above the runway, I felt like I might float down the runway (my rate of descent was shallow and I was slightly fast), so I pulled the power to idle slowly. I think that this resulted in an increase in the rate of descent that caused the aircraft to bounce. In adjusting for the bounce, I developed a nose-high attitude (which I was consciously trying to avoid), which resulted in the tailstrike."

Upon landing at Port Graham, pilot experienced a tail strike as stated. Roll-out and taxi were normal. No injuries. Post-flight inspection revealed rippled skin on the tail/empennage and a hydraulic leak on the nose strut. Aircraft was ferried back to homer, AK for required repairs.

As the FAA filed it

FLIGHT FROM HOMER, AK TO PORT GRAHAM, AK WITH PILOT AND 5 PAX. WINDS AT PORT GRAHAM WERE APPROXIMATELY 5 KNOTS FROM THE NORTHWEST AND PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 30. PILOT EXPERIENCED MINOR TURBULENCE ON THE DOWNWIND AND ON SHORT FINAL, BUT FINAL APPROACH WAS STABLE. PILOT'S ASSESSMENT STATES, "AT ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND AT ABOUT 50 FT ABOVE THE RUNWAY, I FELT LIKE I MIGHT FLOAT DOWN THE RUNWAY (MY RATE OF DESCENT WAS SHALLOW AND I WAS SLIGHTLY FAST), SO I PULLED THE POWER TO IDLE SLOWLY. I THINK THAT THIS RESULTED IN AN INCREASE IN THE RATE OF DESCENT THAT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BOUNCE. IN ADJUSTING FOR THE BOUNCE, I DEVELOPED A NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE (WHICH I WAS CONSCIOUSLY TRYING TO AVOID), WHICH RESULTED IN THE TAILSTRIKE."

UPON LANDING AT PORT GRAHAM, PILOT EXPERIENCED A TAIL STRIKE AS STATED. ROLL-OUT AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. NO INJURIES. POST-FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED RIPPLED SKIN ON THE TAIL/EMPENNAGE AND A HYDRAULIC LEAK ON THE NOSE STRUT. AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED BACK TO HOMER, AK FOR REQUIRED REPAIRS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC25LA069Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportPort Graham, AKThe pilot's improper landing flare and failure to maintain pitch control, which resulted in a tail strike. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to initiate a go around after the abnormal runway contact.Jun 23, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8630Z · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20000810025949IDescent · Bessemer, AL(-23) On August 10, 2000 a Cessna 206, N8630Z operated by air carriers, inc was enroute from dothan, Alabama to Bessemer, AL. The pilot reported he had just completed his descent to 2000 feet and was approx. 5 miles south of the Bessemer Airport when the…Aug 10, 2000