Cessna 210-5 accident near Yakutat, Alaska, July 24, 2025
On July 24, 2025 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1963 Cessna 210-5, registered N8457Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Yakutat, Alaska. It was a business flight 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2025 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Yakutat, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210-5, built 1963 · all 210-5s on the register
- Registration
- N8457Z · registry record · serial 205-0457
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 23, 2025, about 1700 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 210-5 (205) airplane, N8457Z, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident on a remote beach about 50 miles southeast of Yakutat, Alaska. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on demand charter flight. The airplane was being operated by Yakutat Air, transporting a load of fresh fish from a remote beach site to Yakutat. According to the pilot, while departing from the wet, soft, sand-covered beach site, the airplane didn’t seem like it was accelerating as it should have been. He said that after takeoff the airplane traveled for about 100 ft before the right wing stalled, and the main landing gear wheel struck the sand-covered beach. Subsequently, the airplane bounced, and the right main landing gear contacted a piece of driftwood before being pulled sideways, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage (see figure 1). Figure 1. Accident airplane at the accident site (Courtesy of Operator) The pilot reported that the airplane’s weight at the time of the accident was 3,231 lbs., or 69 lbs. under the maximum allowable gross weight of the airplane. He stated that the available takeoff space on the beach was 1,500 ft. and that, during the takeoff roll, the engine seemed like it was running fine. The wreckage has been moved to a secure location and a detailed NTSB examination is pending.
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 engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Yakutat Air
The flight
- Destination: YAK Yakutat AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PAYA, 44 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAYA 240053Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM BKN007 OVC013 13/13 A2988 RMK AO2 RAE06 CIG 005V010 SLP117 P0000 T01330128 TSNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.