N91025Cessna T207 · 1969

On April 28, 2025, about 1355 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna T207 airplane, N91025, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Nanwalek, Alaska. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. One passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as flight number 213, a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 scheduled commuter air carrier flight.

According to the operator, Smokey Bay Air, the pilot and two passengers departed the Homer Airport, Homer, Alaska, en route to the Nanwalek Airport, Nanwalek with 40 gallons of aviation fuel on board, 271 lbs of passenger baggage, and 257 lbs U.S. mail on board.

Archived Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data shows the airplane departing Homer, crossing Kachemak Bay and following the coastline before approaching Runway 19 in Nanwalek from the North.

The ADS-B track data then shows that, as the airplane approached Nanwalek Airport from the north, it momentarily sidestepped to the right of the runway centerline, which was followed by a left turn once it was parallel with the approach end of Runway 19. The airplane was about 100 ft above ground level (AGL) at the final ADS-B captured datapoint (See figure 1).

Figure 1 – Area map with ADS-B track and airport information

Multiple witnesses, located on the ground in the vicinity of the airport, reported seeing the airplane approaching Runway 19 for landing, from over the village. The witnesses then stated that the airplane increased throttle and entered a steep left bank near the North end of Nanwalek Airport before losing control and spiraling down to the ground. Some witnesses reported seeing a dog on the runway when the accident airplane was on final approach.

A pilot, in a second Smokey Bay Airplane a few miles in trail of the accident airplane also inbound to Nanwalek Airport, recalled hearing the accident pilot state, over the radio, “I’m going around, there’s something on the runway,” just before the accident.

The surviving passenger was later interviewed at a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska. He reported approaching Nanwalek Airport from the village side and recalled that the airplane was offset to the right of runway centerline on final approach. He then stated that the airplane entered a sharp, steeper than normal, left banking turn before losing control and rapidly spiraling down to the surface (See figure 2).

Figure 2 – Image of accident airplane after recovery from beach (NTSB Photo)

The airplane came to rest on the beach about 350 ft northwest of the approach end of Runway 19. First responders subsequently pulled the airplane wreckage to higher ground to keep the airplane from becoming submerged as the tide began to rise.

The left wing was separated from the fuselage, held only by the control cables, and rotated forward of the main wreckage. The right wing exhibited spanwise deformation to the outboard section, beyond the lift strut, consistent with impact damage. Both the aft section of the fuselage, forward of the empennage, and the nose section of the fuselage, forward of the cockpit, exhibited damage consistent with rotational forces on impact.

During the onsite investigation, no preimpact anomalies were visually observed with the flight control system. The flap selector was found in the full down position. The three propeller blades exhibited rotational signatures.

The wreckage has been recovered to a secure facility for further examination.

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 1850 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 momentary, 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.