Cessna TU206 G accident near Pistol Creek, Idaho, April 7, 2003
On April 7, 2003 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna TU206 G, registered N756WZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pistol Creek, Idaho. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate visual lookout by the driver of the vehicle that turned on to the runway. Factors include rising terrain decreasing the possibility of a successful go-around and rough uneven terrain beyond the departure end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2003 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Pistol Creek, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna TU206 G · all TU206 Gs on the register
- Registration
- N756WZ · no longer on the register · serial U20604427
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the operator, the airplane was on short final when a vehicle pulled onto the runway in front of where the pilot intended to land. The pilot added power and climbed to an altitude that allowed him to clear the obstacle. After clearing the vehicle, the pilot reconfigured the airplane and initiated a second approach and landing in an area beyond the intended runway. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down in a rocky area and adjoining ditch at the end of the runway and nosed over. The operator of the aircraft reported that a full go-around was not possible due to the terrain surrounding the airstrip. At the time of the accident, the first half of the 2,500-foot private runway was closed due to construction. The operator reported that the remaining section of runway was open for commercial operators.
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, commercial pilot, foreign licence, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,350 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 13,660 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 11, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,461 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 2003; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sp Aircraft
The flight
- Departed from: BOI Boise ID at 2:00 pm
- Destination: Pistol Creek ID
- Runway 25, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N756WZ 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.