What happened
On July 23, 2025, at approximately 1700 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 210-5 operated by Yakutat Air was involved in an accident on a remote beach located roughly 50 miles southeast of Yakutat, Alaska. The aircraft, N8457Z, was performing a Part 135 on-demand charter flight to transport a load of fresh fish.
During the takeoff roll from a wet, soft, sand-covered beach, the pilot noted that the airplane was not accelerating as expected. After traveling approximately 100 feet, the right wing stalled, causing the main landing gear wheel to strike the sand. The aircraft then bounced, and the right main landing gear made contact with a piece of driftwood. The impact pulled the airplane sideways, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage.
The pilot was not injured. At the time of the accident, the aircraft's weight was 3,231 lbs, which was 69 lbs below the maximum allowable gross weight. The pilot reported that the engine appeared to be functioning normally during the takeoff roll and that the available takeoff distance on the beach was 1,500 feet.