Cessna U206 accident near Mexico, Missouri, November 10, 2019
On November 10, 2019 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna U206, registered N29173, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Mexico, Missouri (Flying Shamrock airport). 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 properly set the parking brake before exiting an operating airplane, which resulted in a runaway airplane and subsequent impact with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2019 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mexico, Missouri · Flying Shamrock · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206 C, built 1968 · all U206s on the register
- Registration
- N29173 · registry record · serial U206-1140
- 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, after starting the airplane with a ground power unit (GPU), he exited the airplane. He disconnected the GPU and removed the wheel chocks. The airplane started to roll down an incline. He jumped into the airplane through the aft cargo door and attempted to climb into the pilot's seat to no avail. He pulled the fuel to cut off, and the airplane impacted the trees. The pilot further reported that he had set the parking brake before starting the airplane but either failed to set it completely or bumped it when he exited the pilot's seat to disconnect the GPU. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the right-wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,524 hours in all; 315.6 in this make and model; 15.1 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,851.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6MU4 Mexico MO at 10:00 pm
- Destination: 10MO Williamsburg MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from KMYJ, 8 miles away
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 January 3, 2020. 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 | Record of Phone Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo | 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.
Other NTSB records under N29173 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.