Cessna 208B accident near Anchorage, Alaska, August 1, 2025
On August 1, 2025 at about 11:54 pm local time, a 2013 Cessna 208B, registered N645AT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 8 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 decision to continue an unstabilized approach, which resulted in a landing touchdown with insufficient runway remaining and a subsequent runway overrun and a collision with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2025 · about 11:54 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B, built 2013 · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N645AT · registry record · serial 208B5009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that to comply with the straight-in arrival procedure at the airport, the pilot was required to make a steeper approach to the runway, and he did not decelerate the airplane to a normal landing speed during the approach. As the approach continued, the airplane passed over the runway threshold faster than anticipated, resulting in an inadvertent, midfield touchdown. After touchdown, the pilot determined that there was not enough runway to safely abort the landing, so he continued the landing roll. He applied reverse thrust and hard braking, but the airplane overran the runway, collided with an airport perimeter fence, crossed six lanes of traffic before coming to rest in an open grass field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- 552300 during descent - emergency
- 550090 during descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Landing distance › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Situational awareness › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea, AME, ASE, IAIR, APLN, none
- Flight time: 11,059 hours in all; 564 in this make and model; 133 in the last 90 days; 64 in the last 30 days; 9,664 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 20, 2025
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,292 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 29, 2025; 9.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,097 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whittney PT6A-140 (turboprop); 9,179 hours total
- Operator: J & M Alaska Air Tours
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: PAKA Tatitlek AK at 11:12 pm
- Runway 34, 2,640 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scattered at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 64°C, dew point 55°C
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from PAMR
Weather report (METAR): PAMR 012353Z 31006KT 10SM SCT024 OVC100 18/13 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP168 60000 T01780133 10189 20150 53004
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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 ANC25LA081.