Cessna 208B accident near Bethel, Alaska, January 15, 2008
On January 15, 2008 at about 6:39 pm local time, a Cessna 208B, registered N454SF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Bethel, Alaska (Bethel airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing. Contributing to the accident were snow-covered terrain, blowing snow and flat lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 2008 · about 6:39 pm local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · Bethel · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N454SF · registry record · serial 208B0797
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot was planning to land on an asphalt runway that had localized drifting and blowing snow. Instead, the airplane touched down in a snow-covered area of the airport between the runway and the adjacent taxiway. The pilot said that blowing snow and flat lighting conditions contributed to his difficulty in discerning the correct location of the runway. He said he "aimed for the darker area between the runway and the taxiway, believing this was the runway." The director of operations for the operator said that the depression between the runway and the taxiway had been filled with snow by runway maintenance personnel during snow removal operations. He indicated that the area had the illusion of a hard surface, but landing during reduced visibility due to blowing snow required the pilot to take advantage of any and all available resources, such as requesting the activation of the runway lights, and/or using the instrument landing system (ILS) localizer as a means of aligning the airplane with the centerline of the runway.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,300 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 8,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,612 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 1, 2008; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,550 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SXP Sheldon Point AK at 5:15 pm
- Destination: PABE Bethel AK
- Runway 18, 6,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.36 inHg
- Observation at 6:37 pm from PABE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 |
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 N454SF 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.