ANC26LA062

On June 22, 2026, about 1043 Alaska standard time, a turbine-powered Cessna 208B airplane N94AW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wiseman, Alaska. The nine passengers were uninjured, the pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135, scheduled commuter flight. The pilot reported that, approximately 15 minutes after departing Coldfoot Airport (CXF), Coldfoot, Alaska, en route to Anaktuvuk Pass Airport (AKP), Anaktuvuk, Alaska, he heard a loud whining noise. Concerned about the source of the noise, he elected to return to CXF. Shortly after turning back, the propeller RPM began surging, engine indications appeared normal. The whining noise and RPM surging continued for approximately five minutes; the whining noise then ceased, but the surging persisted. The pilot reported that the surging appeared to stop only after the engine and propeller RPM decreased. As engine power continued to deteriorate, the engine remained operational but produced only low power. The pilot attempted to feather the propeller; initially, it appeared that the propeller was responding, but it failed to fully feather. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot selected a brush-covered riverbed as a forced-landing site. During the landing roll over the rough and uneven terrain, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Following the forced landing, the pilot attempted to shut down the engine using the emergency engine shutdown procedures. However, despite completing those procedures, the engine continued operating for approximately two minutes, including after all ten occupants had evacuated the aircraft. The wreckage is being recovered and will be transported to a secure location, and a detailed National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) postaccident wreckage examination is pending. The airplane was manufactured in 2019 and was equipped with a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140 turboprop engine and a Hartzell three-bladed controllable-pitch propeller.