Cessna U206D accident near Tampa, Florida, January 27, 1997
On January 27, 1997 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna U206D, registered N72074, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tampa, Florida (Tampa International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate torque of the cylinder base nuts and through bolt nuts by company maintenance personnel which allowed movement of the crankcase halves. As a result the No. 2 main bearing failed which allowed excessive movement of the crankshaft resulting in fatigue failure of the crankshaft. Contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 1997 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida · Tampa International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206D · all U206Ds on the register
- Registration
- N72074 · no longer on the register · serial U206-1275
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had flown the airplane once around the traffic pattern earlier in the morning with no discrepancies noted following removal and reinstallation of 4 of the 6 cylinders several days earlier. He then flew the airplane on a short positioning flight also with no discrepancies noted. The flight then departed on the chartered cargo flight and shortly after takeoff, the engine experienced a partial then complete loss of power. With unsuitable terrain ahead the pilot ditched the airplane. Following recovery of the airplane examination of the engine revealed the crankshaft was failed aft of the No. 2 main bearing due to fatigue then overload. Fretting was noted on both crankcase halves at the No. 2 main bearing saddle and the associated bearing was broken, extruded, and the bearing saddle was also extruded. Also, the No. 3 main bearing halves were found to be shifted. Review of the maintenance records revealed that overhauled cylinders were installed at all positions in August of 1996. The engine had been operated for 423 hours since at the time of the accident.
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: 7,700 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,125 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Red Baron Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TPA at 3:08 pm
- Destination: TMB Miami FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:32 pm from TPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N72074 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.