Beech F35 accident near Yakutat, Alaska, July 11, 2021
On July 11, 2021 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1955 Beech F35, registered N891JH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Yakutat, Alaska (Pvt airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 pilot’s failure to ensure adequate runway distance for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2021 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Yakutat, Alaska · Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F35, built 1955 · all F35s on the register
- Registration
- N891JH · registry record · serial D-4101
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he elected to land long on a remote, wet, vegetation covered airstrip. During the landing rollout, he noted a slippery surface with poor braking action. Realizing he would be unable to stop the airplane before the end of the runway, he decided to rotate the airplane 180º and use power to slow. About 90º through the rotation the airplane impacted a berm sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: gyroplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,900 hours in all; 163 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 3, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,850 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 14, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 550 B (piston); 2,330 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: A57 Yakutat AK at 5:57 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from PAYA, 40 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR PAYA 111753Z AUTO 5SM RA BR BKN018 OVC024 10/09 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP196 P0007 60048 T01000089 10100 20094 55002 TSNO $=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 12, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.