Cessna U206F accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, September 6, 1990
On September 6, 1990 at about 3:00 am local time, a Cessna U206F, registered N51299, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada (Henderson airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF VISUAL REFERENCES DURING A NIGHT APPROACH AND HIS FAILURE TO DETECT AND CORRECT A DESCENT. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DARK NIGHT LIGHTING CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1990 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · Henderson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206F · all U206Fs on the register
- Registration
- N51299 · no longer on the register · serial 01993
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFICATED ATP PILOT STATED WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 18, HE BECAME AWARE OF TRAFFIC LANDING ON RUNWAY 36. HE STARTED A GRADUAL TURN TO THE LEFT. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT PASSED HIM HE STARTED A TURN BACK TO THE RIGHT WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT IT WAS A DARK NIGHT.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 36,300 hours in all; 1,520 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 34,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F9 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: L15 Henderson NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N51299 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.