- Date
- August 1, 2025, 18:00 local (Aug 2, 2025, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Yakutat, AK · Remote airstrip at Lodge
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N206GRCessna U206F
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 200686
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance during approach in gusting wind conditions to a remote airstrip, resulting in a collision with brush.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was landing, in gusty windy conditions, on a remote airstrip that was surrounded by trees, and he made a circling approach to land into the wind. As the airplane approached the airstrip, the flaps were fully extended, and he slowed the airplane to about 50 knots. The pilot said that just before touchdown, the headwind suddenly dissipated, and the airplane landed about 20 ft short of the runway. The right wing then struck a stand of brush, resulting in a veer to the right. After touching down, the airplane spun 180° before exiting the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and elevators. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N206GR
- Reported as
- Cessna U206F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20601753
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 13,535
- Engine
- Continental IO-520F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 17, 2025 · 6.9 hours before
- Departed
- PYAK · Yakutut, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PVT · Diericks Tsiu River Lodge Strip, runway 090, 2,000 × 25 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 8,785.5 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 8.2 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- ACY, 37 nm away
- METAR
- PAYA 020153Z AUTO 14009KT 10SM BKN080 OVC100 16/09 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP205 T01610094 TSNO