Cessna 206 accident near Bradley Lake, Alaska, February 20, 1993
On February 20, 1993 at about 11:57 am local time, a Cessna 206, registered N5036U, was destroyed in an accident near Bradley Lake, Alaska (Bradley Lake airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND NOT REMOVING THE FROST FROM THE PLANE'S AIRFOIL SURFACES BEFORE TAKEOFF AND NOT ABORTING THE TAKEOFF WHEN THE AIRPLANE SHOWED NO SIGN OF WANTING TO FLY AT THE INITIAL ROTATION POINT/AIRSPEED. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ICING CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1993 · about 11:57 am local time
- Place
- Bradley Lake, Alaska · Bradley Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N5036U · registry record · serial 2060036
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT HE ELECTED NOT TO POLISH OR REMOVE THE FROST FROM THE AIRFOIL SURFACES OF THE PLANE DURING THE PREFLIGHT BECAUSE HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT IT WAS HEAVY OR COARSE ENOUGH TO BE OF ANY CONSEQUENCE TO THE TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRPLANE. HALFWAY DOWN THE 2,000 FOOT STRIP, THE PILOT COMMENCED TO ROTATE THE AIRPLANE FOR LIFTOFF BUT THE AIRPLANE REMAINED ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID THAT, 'THE AIRPLANE FELT LIKE IT WAS STUCK TO THE RUNWAY'. A SECOND ATTEMPT WAS IMMEDIATELY MADE TO GET THE AIRPLANE TO FLY. THE AIRPLANE MAY HAVE ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF ONE TO TWO FEET BEFORE SETTLING BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REDUCED ENGINE POWER IN ANTICIPATION OF ABORTING THE TAKEOFF BUT QUICKLY CHANGED HIS MIND BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY ABOUT 500 FEET OF RUNWAY REMAINING AND HE DID NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS SUFFICIENT ROOM AVAILABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE END OF THE AIRSTRIP AT APPROXIMATELY 85 KNOTS, STRUCK A THRESHOLD LIGHT, AND ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT THREE FEET BEFORE COLLIDING WITH A PERIMETER FENCE AND ROCK COVERED TERRAIN.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,400 hours in all; 2,145 in this make and model; 191 in the last 90 days; 79 in the last 30 days; 4,350 as pilot in command; 880 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,475 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 8, 1993; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: South Central Air
The flight
- Destination: HOM Homer AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.