Cessna U206 accident near Yamhill, Oregon, May 6, 2001
On May 6, 2001 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna U206, registered N29147, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yamhill, Oregon (Flying M Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to adequately compensate for gusty tailwind conditions, resulting in an excessive rate of descent at touchdown. Factors include gusty tailwinds during the landing sequence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2001 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Yamhill, Oregon · Flying M Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206 · all U206s on the register
- Registration
- N29147 · no longer on the register · serial U2061117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing at an airstrip where terrain conditions dictated the use of only one runway, the pilot was landing with what he thought was a light tailwind. Just as he was about to start his landing flare from about 10 feet above the ground, the aircraft encountered a tailwind gust. The aircraft immediately started to drop toward the runway surface, and before the pilot could apply power to arrest the rate of descent, the aircraft impacted the runway surface with sufficient force to cause substantial damage.
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: 2,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,923 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 26, 2000; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F4QB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UAO Aurora Airport OR at 7:50 pm
- Destination: Yamhill OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,130 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.