Cessna U206F accident near Yakutat, Alaska, August 2, 2025
On August 2, 2025 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1972 Cessna U206F, registered N206GR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Yakutat, Alaska (Diericks Tsiu River Lodge Stri airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance during approach in gusting wind conditions to a remote airstrip, resulting in a collision with brush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2025 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Yakutat, Alaska · Diericks Tsiu River Lodge Stri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206F, built 1972 · all U206Fs on the register
- Registration
- N206GR · registry record · serial U20601753
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was landing, in gusty windy conditions, on a remote airstrip that was surrounded by trees, and he made a circling approach to land into the wind. As the airplane approached the airstrip, the flaps were fully extended, and he slowed the airplane to about 50 knots. The pilot said that just before touchdown, the headwind suddenly dissipated, and the airplane landed about 20 ft short of the runway. The right wing then struck a stand of brush, resulting in a veer to the right. After touching down, the airplane spun 180° before exiting the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and elevators. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Situational awareness › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Variable wind › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,785.5 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 8.2 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,535 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 17, 2025; 6.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PYAK Yakutut AK
- Runway 090, 2,000 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; a few clouds
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from ACY, 37 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAYA 020153Z AUTO 14009KT 10SM BKN080 OVC100 16/09 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP205 T01610094 TSNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N206GR 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 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 ANC25LA082.