Cessna U206F accident near Challis, Idaho, October 31, 1999
On October 31, 1999 at about 4:35 pm local time, a Cessna U206F, registered N902CT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Challis, Idaho (Triple Creek airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Aircraft control was not maintained. The pilot's improper decision to abort the landing and flight into a box canyon were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 1999 · about 4:35 pm local time
- Place
- Challis, Idaho · Triple Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206F · all U206Fs on the register
- Registration
- N902CT · no longer on the register · serial U20602610
- 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
A witness observed the aircraft approach the airstrip from the west, for landing to the east. While on final approach, power fluctuations were heard. The aircraft touched down on the approach end of the airstrip, then bounced into the air to about 20 feet. The witness then heard the pilot apply corrective power for about three to five seconds before full power was applied. The aircraft continued to travel the length of the airstrip, gaining little altitude, before the witness lost sight of the aircraft beyond the trees at the upper end of the airstrip. The aircraft continued up a narrow valley surrounded by rising terrain. About one mile into the canyon, the aircraft collided with the valley floor in a near vertical attitude. During the post-accident investigation, no evidence was found of a mechanical failure or malfunction. The owner/operator of the aircraft reported that the pilot was aware that landings were to be made to the east and takeoff to the west. Takeoff to the east is not recommended due to rapidly rising terrain.
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: 2,015 hours in all; 361 in this make and model; 260 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 1,032 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,942 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 3, 1999; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LLJ Challis ID at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,600 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.