Cessna U206G accident near Mica, Washington, March 8, 2001
On March 8, 2001 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Cessna U206G, registered CGISV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mica, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were fog, low ceilings, drizzle/mist, rising terrain, and the non-availability of a functioning transponder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2001 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Mica, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206G · all U206Gs on the register
- Registration
- CGISV · no longer on the register · serial U20606017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Canadian ATP rated pilot, who was reported to have in excess of 30,000 hours of flight experience, was attempting to fly the company's Cessna U206G from Seattle, Washington, to Calgary, Alberta. He obtained 3 weather briefings from Seattle Flight Service between 0823 and 1040 on the day of the accident. VFR flight north to Vancouver, British Columbia, and east across the Cascade Mountains was not recommended and the pilot chose a southerly route taking him south from Renton, WA, to the Columbia River, then east along the River to The Dalles, Oregon, and then northeast to Spokane, WA, where he planned to stop en route to Calgary, Alberta. The pre-departure weather briefing, as well as the in-flight briefing the pilot subsequently received, as well as the validity of the weather information provided (forecasts and advisories) was found to be correct and satisfactory. Although the pilot was IFR rated, he did not file an IFR flight plan. Additionally, he filed his flight plan as transponder Mode "C" equipped, but approaching Spokane advised the tower that "...we're having some transponder trouble here...." The pilot's son reported that the aircraft's transponder was questionable. Unable to utilize radar vectors approaching the Spokane area due to the lack of a transponder signal, the pilot radioed "...I'm going to see if I can work my way over to Coeur d'Alene or go back south and pick up a small airport...." The aircraft was observed heading north-northeast at an elevation of approximately 300 feet AGL by a witness driving on highway 27 (2,600 MSL) . The witness reported that the aircraft was under the fog line and then it disappeared into the fog heading toward Mica Peak. The aircraft impacted trees on a heading of approximately 015 degrees and in a slightly nose up attitude before impacting the rising terrain near Mica Peak at an elevation of 4,760 feet MSL. The witness reported weather conditions at his location as poor visibility, strong rain, low clouds and fog.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,758.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 2000; 29.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNT Renton WA at 7:07 pm
- Destination: GEG Spokane WA
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,100 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from GEG, 19 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.