Dehavilland DHC-6 accident near Sacramento, California, December 15, 2000
On December 15, 2000 at about 1:20 am local time, a Dehavilland DHC-6, registered N252SA, was involved in an accident near Sacramento, California. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed; 6 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger committed suicide.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 2000 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Sacramento, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed; 6 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC-6 DHC 6 · all DHC-6s on the register
- Registration
- N252SA · registry record · serial 614
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A passenger aboard an airplane sustained fatal injuries when she exited the airplane through an emergency exit during flight. The emergency exit door, hinged along the edge toward the nose of the airplane, was on the right side of the cabin between the right rear single seat and the rear pair of seats. Opening the door in flight would require significant force to overcome the wind pressure. The deceased passenger sat by herself next the emergency exit. The passengers in the seats immediately ahead of the emergency exit said they heard a loud sound, like rushing air, behind them and knew this wasn't normal. They thought they felt the wind, and one passenger turned to look over his right shoulder. He saw the deceased passenger with her shoulders out of the door. Her left arm was passing over his head, so he grabbed her coat at her left wrist. He tried to reach further right for a better hold, but now could only see the dark coat and her arm. He felt a tug; the female slipped from his grasp and fell clear of the airplane. Officers from the San Jose Police Department, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the investigator-in-charge (IIC) from the Safety Board examined the airplane after FBI personnel completed a forensic analysis of the cabin. A red cover, inscribed with the word "LIFT" in white letters, lay over the emergency exit door's operating handle. With this cover lifted up, the handle required a noticeable force to rotate it about 45 degrees in a clockwise direction. Rotation of the handle moved a 1/2-inch diameter metal rod approximately 1-inch from the latched to the unlatched position. The latch receptacle in the airframe did not exhibit any deformities. The IIC locked and unlocked the door several times and detected no malfunctions. The victim's husband informed the FBI that, the day before the incident, his wife scheduled an appointment for counseling later that week. Toxicological tests on the deceased passenger found no ethanol or other drug substances. The coroner's office classified the death as a suicide.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 195 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,250 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 18, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; 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: 5,500 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 605 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 11, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 30,743 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 28, 2000; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6-27 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAC Sacramento CA at 1:15 am
- Destination: SJC San Jose CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 4 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX01FA059.