Cessna 206E accident near Stuart Island, Washington, July 8, 2005
On July 8, 2005 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 206E, registered N9428G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stuart Island, Washington (Stuart Island airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's excessive airspeed on final for the current runway surface conditions, and the intentional obstruction avoidance maneuver he executed when it became clear the aircraft was about to go off the end of the runway. Factors include the pilot's improper decision to land on a surface that he had not first inspected from the air, clouds and rain in the area, and a wet, muddy landing surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2005 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stuart Island, Washington · Stuart Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206E · all 206Es on the register
- Registration
- N9428G · registry record · serial 01628
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Due to the restrictions created by marginal VFR conditions, the pilot entered the pattern on a close-in dogleg to final for a landing to the west. Just as he was starting to turn final, he heard another pilot broadcast that he was departing Stuart Island to the east. The pilot then transmitted, "Aircraft close in, landing to the west, Stuart". He then prepared to execute a go-around. But, as he rounded the corner of the island and rolled out on final, the pilot saw an aircraft pull off of the runway to the grassy area to its south. He therefore decided to continue his approach to a full-stop landing. Upon touchdown on the 2,000 foot runway, the aircraft encountered a significant amount of standing water, and the pilot immediately retracted the flaps in order to get more weight on the wheels for braking. Because of the amount of standing water, the aircraft began to hydroplane, and as it neared the end of the runway, it still had not come to a stop. In an attempt to keep the aircraft from going off the far end of the runway, the pilot intentionally executed a sharp turn to the right. Just after the turn was initiated, the left main gear and the nose gear dug into the soft muddy surface, resulting in the aircraft tipping up on its left side and the left wing contacting the runway surface. During the investigation it was determined that a heavy rain shower had passed through the area about 15 minutes prior to the landing, and that there was still a significant portion of the runway surface that had standing water on it. During a post-accident interview, the pilot started that he did not realize that there was so much standing water on the runway until after he touched down and it started spraying up on the bottom of the wing and onto the windshield. He further stated that if he had realized that the potential for hydroplaning was so great, he would have slowed his approach speed to compensate for the overly-wet conditions.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,600 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aeronautical Services
The flight
- Departed from: KORS Orcas Island WA at 6:20 pm
- Destination: 7WA5 Stuart Island WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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 N9428G 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.