Cessna P206C accident near Lake Wales, Florida, December 29, 2005
On December 29, 2005 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna P206C, registered N8640Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Wales, Florida (Lake Wales Municipal airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during takeoff-initial climb due to fuel starvation, which resulted in a hard, off-airport forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2005 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · Lake Wales Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P206C · all P206Cs on the register
- Registration
- N8640Z · no longer on the register · serial P206-0440
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after reaching an altitude of 400 feet agl after takeoff, the engine quit suddenly. He immediately pumped the throttle two times, and turned on the auxiliary fuel pump, but this did not restore engine power. He made a hard forced landing in an industrial park near the airport. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed approximately 20 gallons of fuel in the left main fuel tank and 7 gallons in the right main fuel tank; no fuel contamination was found. Examination of the engine revealed crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity. No discrepancies were noted with the ignition system. Examination of the fuel lines in the engine compartment revealed no fuel in the line from the throttle body fuel control unit to the fuel manifold valve, and no fuel was found in the fuel line from the mechanical fuel pump to the throttle body fuel control unit. The only fuel line that had fuel was the return line from the throttle body fuel control unit to the mechanical fuel pump. Bench testing of the fuel injection components revealed no evidence of failure or malfunction of any of the tested components.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 28,500 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,098.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2005; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X07 Lake Wales FL at 4:45 pm
- Destination: X07 Lake Wales FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,999 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from KBOW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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.