Cessna 206A accident near Williamsburg, Virginia, January 3, 1994
On January 3, 1994 at about 3:23 am local time, a Cessna 206A, registered N776P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Williamsburg, Virginia (Williamsburg-Jamestown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an exhaust valve failure that created a hole in the piston, which allowed the complete loss of engine oil, resulting in the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 1994 · about 3:23 am local time
- Place
- Williamsburg, Virginia · Williamsburg-Jamestown
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206A · all 206As on the register
- Registration
- N776P · no longer on the register · serial U206-0568
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING PREFLIGHT THE PILOT CONFIRMED 11 QUARTS OF OIL IN THE ENGINE. THE PILOT DEPARTED ON A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT AND CLIMBED TO A CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 4500 FEET. FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER TAKE OFF THE ENGINE LOST POWER. AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AFTER THE PILOT INITIATED A TURN TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS APPROACHING WATER AND ELECTED NOT TO SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN. A SECOND EXPLOSION OCCURRED FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. AFTER A THIRD EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY FIRE ERUPTING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE PILOT SECURED THE ENGINE AND SHUT THE FUEL OFF. DURING THE FORCED LANDING THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A FIELD. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT AN EXHAUST VALVE HAD BROKEN FREE AND CREATED A HOLE IN THE PISTON. THE ENGINE WAS FOUND ABSENT OF OIL. TWO CONNECTING RODS FAILED AT THE CRANKSHAFT JOURNALS FROM A LACK OF LUBRICATION.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,067 hours in all; 365 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 9,050 as pilot in command; 5,740 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,766 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 1993; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: END Enterprise AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 am from RIC, 32 miles away
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.
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.