Cessna T207 accident near Nanwalek, Alaska, August 23, 2016
On August 23, 2016 at about 5:46 pm local time, a 1969 Cessna T207, registered N91025, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Nanwalek, Alaska (Nanwalek airport). It was flown 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s unstabilized approach and a subsequent runway overrun while landing on a short runway in variable wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2016 · about 5:46 pm local time
- Place
- Nanwalek, Alaska · Nanwalek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T207 UNDESIGNAT, built 1969 · all T207s on the register
- Registration
- N91025 · registry record · serial 20700016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during landing the wind sock at the airport indicated that the wind was variable, about 5 knots, and predominately favored runway 1. According to the FAA airport facility directory, runway 01/19 was 1,850 feet long, and soft gravel. However, 1,000 feet of northern portion of the runway was closed indefinitely. The pilot recalled that about 500 feet down the 1,850 foot runway, and just before touchdown the airplane encountered, "a pretty rapid shift in the winds in both direction and velocity." He reported that the airplane touched down momentarily, and then went airborne again. After the second touchdown, the speed did not decline as expected, and although the airplane did start to slow as it got a better grip on the gravel (which was wet from rain that had occurred earlier), he ran out of runway. He reported that the airplane overran the runway at a groundspeed of about 10 knots, went down a small embankment, had a propeller strike and the airplane sustained substantial damage when the left wing struck a post. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations. The pilot reported that he considered going around, but due to the wind and terrain rejected the idea.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Landing distance › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Variable wind › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,100 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command; 1,108 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,536.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 12, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550-F12B (piston); 196 hours total
- Operator: Smokey Bay Air Inc
The flight
- Departed from: PGM Port Graham AK
- Destination: KEB Nanwalek AK
- Runway 01, 1,850 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PASO, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N91025 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 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 GAA16CA445.