Cessna 207A accident near Bethel, Alaska, November 3, 2000
On November 3, 2000 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 207A, registered N7336U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bethel, Alaska (Bethel airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to use all available runway. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, a short runway, a tailwind, and a slush-covered runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 2000 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · Bethel · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207A · all 207As on the register
- Registration
- N7336U · no longer on the register · serial 20700405
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated commercial pilot was departing runway 29, from intersection Echo. He noted that the gravel runway had a light accumulation of heavy, wet snow/slush, and estimated about 1,500 feet of runway remained from intersection Echo. During the departure roll, the airplane veered to the left, and he applied full right rudder to correct the veer. He was unable to correct the veer, so he closed the throttle, aborted the takeoff, and applied maximum braking. The airplane ran off the end of the runway, down an embankment, and struck a chain link fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. Airport personnel reported that when departing runway 29 from intersection Echo, the published usable runway remaining is 1,350 feet. The published usable full-length of runway 29, is 1,850 feet. At the time of the accident winds were reported to be from 093 degrees (magnetic) at 9 knots.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,040 hours in all; 240 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days; 89 in the last 30 days; 913 as pilot in command; 354 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,703 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 30, 2000; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Yute Air Alaska
The flight
- Departed from: BET at 5:45 pm
- Destination: DUY Kongiganak AK
- Runway 29, 1,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 093° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BET
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N7336U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.