Cessna 206 accident near Lexington, Kentucky, January 12, 2006
On January 12, 2006 at about 7:55 pm local time, a Cessna 206, registered N308M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lexington, Kentucky (Blue Grass Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the throttle cable. Contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 2006 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Kentucky · Blue Grass Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N308M · no longer on the register · serial 2060092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in a descent for landing, about 3 miles from the destination airport, when the pilot adjusted the throttle to level the airplane. The engine continued to run at the power setting used for the descent, and further adjustments of the throttle produced no change in engine speed. Based on the wind and available engine power, the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a parking lot. While maneuvering in the landing flare to avoid obstacles, the airplane dragged the left wing, landed hard, collapsed the nose gear, and then struck a curb before it came to rest. Examination of the airplane by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors revealed a severed throttle cable. Examination of the cable by a National Transportation Safety Board metallurgist revealed the cable failed in fatigue. The wear around the housing was described as "uniform" and "severe" and consistent with exposure to contaminants, as well as vibration and bending loads. The cable was installed 4 years, and 1,200 hours prior to 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 647 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 92 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 611 as pilot in command; 315 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,971 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005; 182 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IOB Mt. Sterling KY at 7:30 pm
- Destination: LEX Lexington KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from LEX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.