Cessna U206 accident near Ely, Nevada, June 30, 2016
On June 30, 2016 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1984 Cessna U206, registered N9304R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Ely, Nevada (Ely Arpt /Yelland Fld/ airport). It was a public-use flight (federal) under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's incorrect pitch control during the landing flare, which resulted in a tail strike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2016 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ely, Nevada · Ely Arpt /Yelland Fld/ · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206 G, built 1984 · all U206s on the register
- Registration
- N9304R · registry record · serial U20606830
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (federal) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that during a public-use flight in a single-engine airplane, he was providing instruction to an airline transport pilot who was only rated for multi-engine airplanes. The flight instructor further reported that the pilot receiving instruction was the pilot flying and was "fast" on final approach. During the landing flare, the airplane ballooned and bounced once. After the bounce, the flight instructor applied aft flight control pressure because he believed the airplane was going to touch down nose wheel first. The subsequent landing roll was completed without further incident. After loading additional passengers, the flight instructor completed the return flight to their domicile without further incident. During a post-flight inspection damage was found to the tail hook and aft fuselage area. Further inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the aft bulkhead, which was likely the result of a tail strike during the bounced landing during the previous flight. The flight instructor reported that he did not hear the tail strike during the bounced landing and he did not inspect the empennage before departing for the terminating destination. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,020 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 6,440 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 25, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,025 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 2,419 as pilot in command; 445 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 6, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,226.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-520-F17B (piston); 1,583 hours total
- Operator: United States Department Of Interior
The flight
- Departed from: BOI Boise ID at 4:00 pm
- Destination: ELY Ely NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 6,018 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KELY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 | |||
| 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.
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 GAA16CA362.