No fatalities

1 Sep 2008: CESSNA 207 — Wright Air Service, Inc. — Fairbanks, AK

Fairbanks, AK, United States

On 1 Sep 2008, a CESSNA 207 operated by Wright Air Service, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Fairbanks, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's delay in aborting the landing. A factor contributing to the accident was a variable wind. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 14 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A commercial pilot attempting a landing on a rough remote airstrip ballooned after adding power, then aborted but failed to become airborne, resulting in the airplane going off the end into a creek bed.

Accident Overview

A commercial pilot experienced a loss of control during a landing attempt at a remote airstrip, leading to the airplane departing the runway and sustaining structural damage. The incident occurred on a rough and uneven airstrip surrounded by mountainous terrain.

Pilot Narrative

The pilot reported that he was approaching the airstrip from the south, correcting for variable easterly winds between 5 and 10 knots. Just before touchdown, he added engine power to avoid an area of rough terrain at the northern end of the site. This caused the airplane to balloon. The aircraft subsequently landed about mid-length along the 1,500-foot-long, 30-foot-wide airstrip.

Sequence of Events

After touchdown, the pilot realized he would be unable to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the airstrip. He applied full engine power to abort the landing, but the airplane failed to become airborne again. It continued off the south end of the airstrip, down an embankment, and into a creek bed.

Damage

The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome