Cessna 208B accident near Kipnuk, Alaska, January 6, 2011
On January 6, 2011 at about 5:26 pm local time, a Cessna 208B, registered N715HE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kipnuk, Alaska (Kipnuk Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to land long on the icy snow-covered runway, resulting in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 2011 · about 5:26 pm local time
- Place
- Kipnuk, Alaska · Kipnuk Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N715HE · registry record · serial 208B0603
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the scheduled commuter flight reported that following a normal landing approach, he landed long to avoid a bump in the runway. He applied the brakes during the landing roll, but realized the airplane was still traveling too fast to stop on the snow and ice-covered runway. He said he did not have enough area to abort the landing and applied maximum brakes. The airplane overran the departure end of the runway and impacted a ditch, coming to rest right wing and nose low. The pilot said that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. The right wing sustained structural damage.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Landing distance › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 16, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 9,062 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hageland Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PABE Bethel AK at 4:40 pm
- Destination: PAKI Kipnuk AK
- Runway 33, 2,120 ft by 35 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from PAKI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.