Cessna 206 accident near Peyton, Colorado, March 21, 2008
On March 21, 2008 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 206, registered N1386V, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Peyton, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2008 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Peyton, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N1386V · no longer on the register · serial U20602596
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff the single-engine airplane lost engine power. The private pilot performed a forced landing in a field. During the landing the airplane flipped over, coming to rest in the inverted position. The airplane was substantially damaged during the landing sequence. In a telephone interview with the Federal Aviation Administration inspector and the National Transportation Safety Board Investigator-in-Charge, the pilot stated that, "he didn't check his fuel prior to departure and that he ran out of gas." The operator did not submit a completed NTSB form 6120.1, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident report as requested, at the time this report was prepared.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Fuel exhaustion during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,128 hours in all; 1,452 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 2,128 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,782 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2008
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00V Colorado Spring CO
- Destination: K58 Ashland KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 290° at 20 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from KCOS, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N1386V 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.