Cessna 207A accident near Bethel, Alaska, June 3, 2024
On June 3, 2024, a 1981 Cessna 207A, registered N9651M, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper short-field takeoff procedure, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2024
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · Bethel Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207A, built 1981 · all 207As on the register
- Registration
- N9651M · registry record · serial 20700715
- 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 pilot was performing a short-field takeoff procedure with an airplane that was near its maximum gross weight. The airplane’s operating handbook specified that the short-field takeoff procedure required the use of flaps until the airplane had reached an indicated airspeed greater than 80 knots. The pilot reported that, during the initial climb, he felt the airplane sink and saw the wing flaps retract in his peripheral vision. The pilot pushed the airplane’s nose down to gain airspeed; however, the airplane was too low to gain sufficient airspeed for continued flight, and subsequently landed hard on the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. Examination of the flap system revealed that the flaps were fully retracted at the time of impact, and the flap position lever was also in the retracted position. An operational check of the flap control system was conducted in accordance with the airplane service manual and no abnormalities were observed. Given the position of the flaps and flap position lever at the time of the accident and the lack of anomalies during postaccident operational testing of the flap system, it is likely that the pilot either retracted the wing flaps during the takeoff initial climb at an altitude and airspeed that was insufficient to sustain flight, or attempted a short-field takeoff with the flaps improperly configured (retracted), which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent hard landing.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 911 hours in all; 307 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 816 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 14, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,698.5 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 2, 2024; 0.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-520-F (piston); 465 hours total
- Operator: Grant Aviation INC
The flight
- Destination: PAGG Kwigillingok AK
- Runway 1L, 6,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.32 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from PABE
Weather report (METAR): PABE 022353Z 35011G19KT 10SM BKN085 19/04 A2932 RMK AO2 SLP931 T01890039 10206 20144 57018
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9651M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC24LA043.