Cessna 206 accident near London, Kentucky, September 4, 2018
On September 4, 2018, a 2005 Cessna 206, registered N230DE, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near London, Kentucky (London-Corbin Arpt-Magee Field). 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff with a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2018
- Place
- London, Kentucky · London-Corbin Arpt-Magee Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206 H, built 2005 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N230DE · no longer on the register · serial 20608252
- 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, during a touch-and-go landing, just after the airplane touched down, he reduced the flaps to 10° and applied full throttle for takeoff. While increasing airspeed, the airplane drifted left. He added right rudder, but the airplane continued to drift left, so he reduced engine power. The airplane then exited the left side of the runway, and the pilot briefly applied full throttle to cross a drainage ditch, and the airplane became airborne. Subsequently, when the airplane touched back down, the front landing gear separated from the airframe, and the airplane came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system at the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 100° at 3 knots. The pilot was performing a touch-and-go landing on runway 24.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Part(s) separation from AC during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 204 hours in all; 132 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 1.6 in the last 30 days; 138 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,651 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-ACIAS (piston); 1,699 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOZ London KY
- Destination: LOZ London KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,751 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KLOZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 23, 2018. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Roc | 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.
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.