Cessna 150K accident near Anchorage, Alaska, January 25, 2026
On January 25, 2026 at about 5:00 am local time, a 1970 Cessna 150K, registered N6333G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood Seaplane Base airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s unintentional selection of the wrong, snow-covered landing surface, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2026 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood Seaplane Base · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150K, built 1970 · all 150Ks on the register
- Registration
- N6333G · registry record · serial 15071833
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the student pilot had been conducting night landing practice at a secondary airport. The flight instructor reported that during the return leg of the flight, while on approach to land at their home airport, he took control of the airplane from the student pilot. The flight instructor subsequently lost situational awareness and inadvertently aligned the airplane with a snow covered waterway instead of the intended runway. The airplane touched down on the snow and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the wings, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The flight instructor 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 landing
- Wrong surface or wrong airport during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Situational awareness › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,041 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,922 as pilot in command; 303 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 27, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 40 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,210 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 9, 2025; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,760 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UUO Willow AK at 4:24 am
- Destination: LHD Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway West, 4,541 ft by 188 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 050° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from ALH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Accident airplane at accident site
Photograph 2 – Image of empennage
Photograph 3 – Image of left wingThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 25, 2026. 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, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.