Cessna U206A accident near Willow, Alaska, February 28, 1993
On February 28, 1993 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna U206A, registered N8076Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Willow, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE ABRUPT AIRCRAFT HANDLING BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND. FACTORS WERE THE COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE GEAR AND THE SOFT, SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 1993 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Willow, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206A · all U206As on the register
- Registration
- N8076Z · registry record · serial U206-0476
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS TAXIING THE AIRPLANE FOR TAKEOFF AND DID NOT SEE THE DOUBLE SNOW MACHINE TRACKS IN THE SNOW. THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE BOUNCED UP WHEN IT CROSSED THE TRACKS AND THE PILOT PUSHED THE NOSE BACK DOWN. THE NOSE WHEEL SKI TIP DUG INTO THE SOFT SNOW AND THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,741 hours in all; 721 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 4,408 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,576 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 6, 1992; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Kashwitna Lake AK at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 99 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N8076Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.