Cessna U206 accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska, April 29, 2016
On April 29, 2016 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1982 Cessna U206, registered N9610Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Port Alsworth, Alaska (Jack Ross Airstrip airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate descent rate during the landing flare in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing, aerodynamic stall, impact with terrain, nose gear collapse, and nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2016 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Port Alsworth, Alaska · Jack Ross Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206 G, built 1982 · all U206s on the register
- Registration
- N9610Z · no longer on the register · serial U20606572
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the initial touchdown in gusty wind conditions, the airplane landed hard. The pilot further reported that after the hard landing the airplane bounced, aerodynamically stalled, and subsequently impacted the ground nose wheel landing gear first and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, and the empennage. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or 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
- Hard landing during landing
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing defining event
- Loss of control in flight during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 6,250 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 20, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,342 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2015
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 4,582 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Fairbanks AK
- Destination: PVT Port Alsworth AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 08, 1,100 ft by 140 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from PALJ, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 9, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | 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.