Cessna 206 accident near Ulysses, Kansas, April 1, 1996
On April 1, 1996 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 206, registered N6237Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ulysses, Kansas. It was a personal 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
Failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane, while taxiing. Factors relating to the accident were: the high, gusty, crosswind condition; and loose gravel on the roadway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 1996 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ulysses, Kansas · 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
- N6237Q · registry record · serial 20602381
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while taxiing before takeoff, the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind, causing it to slide sideways. He said that when the airplane reached the left side of the road, the wind 'got under the right wing and turned the plane over onto the top.' He was departing to the east from a two lane county road with loose gravel that ran east and west. The winds were reported to be 10 to 15 miles per hour from the south-southeast. The airplane came to rest in a ditch on the north side of the road.
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
- Flight time: 290 hours in all; 178 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 261 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 1995; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LBL Liberal KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 22 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from GCK, 30 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI96LA123.