Gippsaero PTY LTD GA8 accident near Nightmute, Alaska, January 4, 2025
On January 4, 2025 at about 2:51 am local time, a 2012 Gippsaero PTY LTD GA8, registered N916RK, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Nightmute, Alaska (Nightmute Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 loss of directional control while taxiing in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2025 · about 2:51 am local time
- Place
- Nightmute, Alaska · Nightmute Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gippsaero PTY LTD GA8, built 2012 · all GA8s on the register
- Registration
- N916RK · registry record · serial GA8-12-176
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while taxiing from the runway to the ramp after landing in gusting wind conditions, he was hit by a strong gust of wind and lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane exited the taxiway surface and came to rest on its left main wheel and nose. The airplane was then hit by a second gust of wind and nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Nose over/nose down during taxi (from runway)
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,658 hours in all; 454 in this make and model; 153 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 1,543 as pilot in command; 832 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,120.5 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 27, 2024; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 1,229 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EWU Mertarvik AK at 2:12 am
- Runway 3, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 19 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point -9°F (-23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PABE, 87 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PABE 040153Z 02019G25KT 10SM CLR M18/M23 A2979 RMK AO2 PK WND 02027/0136 SLP092 T11831228
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 12, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC25LA015.