There are no injuries following a minor Grant Aviation incident in Hooper Bay on Tuesday. One pilot and seven passengers were on board the Cessna 208 when the plane’s propeller apparently struck something. Little information about the incident is known at this time.
“As far as we know, there was no substantial damage. Just damage to the props. We haven’t been able to do a full assessment,” said Grant Aviation Vice President of Operations Dan Knesek.
The plane was heading to Bethel when the incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Grant Aviation serves the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta as a regional airline, with Bethel as its primary hub. Snowy conditions and low visibility in Bethel have grounded all Grant flights since the incident occurred. As of noon on Wednesday, Feb. 5, the plane, pilot, and passengers were still in Hooper Bay.
“Right now we don’t have a lot of the details. The pilot is in Hooper Bay, and we haven’t been able to look at the aircraft,” Knesek said.
Knesek says that Grant Aviation is working with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the incident.
In July 2019, a Grant Aviation plane crashed on the Bethel runway and caught fire upon landing. A pilot and five passengers, including two children, survived with minor injuries.
