Cessna TU-206F accident near Minden, Nevada, July 26, 2001
On July 26, 2001 at about 3:00 am local time, a Cessna TU-206F, registered N2856Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minden, Nevada (Minden-Tahoe 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 inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, and his improper remedial action after it became clear that he was not successfully salvaging the landing attempt. Factors include an improperly serviced nose gear strut.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2001 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Minden, Nevada · Minden-Tahoe · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna TU-206F · all TU-206Fs on the register
- Registration
- N2856Q · registry record · serial U20603005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While attempting a full-stop landing, the pilot allowed the aircraft to drop onto the runway surface with enough force that it bounced back into the air. The pilot then continued the landing sequence, and the aircraft hit hard enough on the second touchdown that it once again bounced back into the air. On its third touchdown it hit nose wheel first, damaging the airframe, and bouncing back into the air a third time. On the fourth touchdown, it contacted the terrain off the side of the runway, and eventually came to a stop. After the first and second touchdowns, the pilot did not add power to cushion the next contact as called for in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 61-21A, nor, as called for in the same AC, did he make the decision to execute a go-around when it became obvious that his attempt to salvage the landing was not meeting success. An improperly serviced nose wheel strut may have contributed to the severity of the 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,077 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 955 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 21, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,090 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO 520-C2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WVI Watsonville CA at 1:30 am
- Destination: MEV Minden NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 5,289 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.