Cessna 210 accident near Bettles, Alaska, July 8, 2017
On July 8, 2017 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1962 Cessna 210, registered N9664X, was destroyed in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Bettles, Alaska. 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 glidepath during the approach to the runway over glassy water and in glaring sun conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2017 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bettles, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 B, built 1962 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N9664X · no longer on the register · serial 21057964
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he overflew a remote airstrip, which was bounded by a lake on the approach end. He added that he circled back to land and that, during final approach, he encountered "glassy water and bright sun." Subsequently, the airplane landed short of the runway in the lake, sunk in more than 500 ft of water, and was not recovered. The Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who interviewed the pilot reported that he stated that the sun and the reflection off the lake gave him the impression that the airplane was higher than it was. The pilot 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
- Loss of visual reference during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Glassy surface › Effect on personnel
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Bright light › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 4,750 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 31, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,550 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-470S (piston); 3,500 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK
- Destination: Bettles AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 November 2, 2017. 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 | Record of Conversation (FAA Inspector) | 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.