Cessna 207 accident near Chefornak, Alaska, October 11, 2004
On October 11, 2004 at about 5:19 pm local time, a Cessna 207, registered N5277J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chefornak, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight collision with a bird while on final approach to land.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2004 · about 5:19 pm local time
- Place
- Chefornak, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N5277J · registry record · serial 20700772
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The scheduled commuter airline flight was on short final approach to land when a large bird collided with and penetrated the windshield. No one aboard was injured, and the commercial pilot was able to make an uneventful landing. The damage from the bird strike required the windshield to be replaced.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,295 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 7,295 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hageland Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KPN Kipnuk AK at 12:00 pm
- Destination: Chefornak AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
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.