Cessna U206B accident near Yellow Pine, Idaho, July 2, 2000
On July 2, 2000 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna U206B, registered N3488L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yellow Pine, Idaho (Johnson Creek airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The locknut was not secured and backed off the bolt. An improper maintenance installation was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2000 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Yellow Pine, Idaho · Johnson Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206B · all U206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3488L · no longer on the register · serial U206-0788
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he set-up for a soft field landing on a grass airstrip. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear, and immediately after the nose wheel touched down, grass and dirt started to come over the windshield and the airplane rapidly decelerated, subsequently nosing over. After the accident, it was noted that the nose wheel had separated from the nose wheel fork. The axle bolt, both buckets, and a locknut were found on the grass airstrip along the aircraft's ground track. Inspection of the parts and a review of the maintenance records disclosed evidence that the nose gear and tire installation were for a Piper PA32. The accident aircraft was a Cessna U206B. Although the two installations are similar, the Piper installation used an axle bolt that is secured with a lock nut (on the aircraft at the time of the accident). The Cessna installation used an axle bolt that is drilled for a castle nut and cotter key installation. An inspection of the nut and bolt threads was conducted at the NTSB Materials Lab. The specialist reported that the threads on both the bolt and nut showed no evidence of excessive loading or stripping damage. Due to the lack of damage to the axle bolt and nut, it appeared that the bolt was not locked down at the last maintenance inspection and backed off.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,788 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 5,710 as pilot in command; 234 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,878 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 1999; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mccall ID at 5:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from MYL, 26 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N3488L 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.