Cessna 206 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, July 31, 1999
On July 31, 1999 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 206, registered N3831G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska (Bald Mountain airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A leak/partial failure of the left main gear brake system. Factors in the accident were a short runway/landing area, and the presence of rocks/boulders at the end of the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1999 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · Bald Mountain · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N3831G · registry record · serial 2060831
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing on a remote airstrip that was about 1,000 feet long, 30 feet wide, and about 3,600 feet msl. During the landing roll, the pilot applied the brakes, but the left brake was soft. The pilot said he could not stop the airplane before running off the end of the airstrip. The nose wheel struck several rocks about 50 feet off the end of the strip. The nose wheel then separated from the nose wheel strut. The airplane nosed down and the left wing collided with rocky terrain. After the accident, the pilot said he observed the left main tire covered by brake fluid, but he did not examine the brake cylinder.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,375 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 1998; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AK at 1:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N3831G 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.