Cessna P206A accident near Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, May 12, 1986
On May 12, 1986 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna P206A, registered N4626F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wellsboro, Pennsylvania (Wellsboro Grand Canyon airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 1986 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wellsboro, Pennsylvania · Wellsboro Grand Canyon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P206A · all P206As on the register
- Registration
- N4626F · registry record · serial P206-0226
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS CRUISING AT 5,500 FT WHEN THE PLT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. HE TRIED TO MAKE IT TO THE WELLSBORO ARPT, HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO AND LANDED THE ACFT IN A FIELD. THE ACFT RAN THROUGH A FENCE AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TORN DOWN, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD BROKEN BETWEEN THE #2 ROD BEARING JOURNAL AND THE #2 MAIN BEARING JOURNAL. ALSO DURING THE ENGINE INSPECTION IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ENGINE DID HAVE OIL, BUT METAL PARTICLES WERE PRESENT ON BOTH THE OIL SCREEN AND IN THE OIL.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 179 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,703 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, August 7, 1975
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8G3 Olean NY
- Destination: N70 Perkasie PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N4626F 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.