Cessna U206G accident near Elizabethton, Tennessee, October 22, 2009
On October 22, 2009 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Cessna U206G, registered N120MS, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Elizabethton, Tennessee. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to remain clear of rising terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 2009 · about 5:50 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Elizabethton, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206G · all U206Gs on the register
- Registration
- N120MS · registry record · serial U20603668
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, on a training flight to conduct terrain following maneuvers at low altitude and maximum gross weight, the airplane collided with trees on a mountain side. The airplane impacted at 3,761 feet above mean sea level on a 6,285-foot mountain peak. Although the airplane was nearly consumed by a post-crash fire, a postaccident examination of the engine and airframe found no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented the normal operation of the airplane. There were no witnesses to the accident.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 412 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,148 hours in all; 20,758 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 29, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,327 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 13, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 0A9 Elizabethton TN at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 7A8 Spruce Pine NC
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from 0A9, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on October 25, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toxicological Report-pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Toxicological Report-flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports; Cfi's Flight Log. | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports; Maintenance Records. | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Witness Statement | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Maps or Charts of Accident Area, Wreckage Diagrams | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Digital Photo 1; Crash Site on Side of Mountain. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Digital Photo 2; Flight Path Through Trees. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Digital Photo 3; Large Tree Limb with 45 Degree Cut. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Digital Photo 4; Left Wing Damage. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Digital Photo 5; Spinner and Propeller Damage. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N120MS on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna U206 Stationair 798 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES 9,485 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- William B Greene JR Regional · departed from
- Avery County/Morrison Field · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Tennessee 1,198 since 1982 · 231 in the last ten years
- Tennessee 6,535 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA10FA027.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.