Cessna U206 accident near South Prairie, Washington, May 22, 1983
On May 22, 1983 at about 5:12 pm local time, a Cessna U206, registered N3852G, was destroyed in an accident near South Prairie, Washington (Cawley Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed, 4 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1983 · about 5:12 pm local time · cases in 1983
- Place
- South Prairie, Washington · Cawley Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 4 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206 · all U206s on the register
- Registration
- N3852G · registry record · serial 0852
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE TOUCHDOWN ABOUT 1,800 FT DOWN THE 2,600 FT STRIP. AFTER BOUNCING TWICE, & ABOUT 2,000 FT DOWN THERWY, POWER WAS APPLIED FOR A GO-AROUND. DURING THE CLIMBOUT THE ACFT TURNED LEFT TOWARD HIGHER TREES. THE FLAPS WERE DESCRIBED AS BEING IN A LANDING CONFIGURATION.
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: 190 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 135 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,564 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 1982; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S44 Spanaway WA at 4:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3852G on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna U206 Stationair 798 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F 80 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Plains Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,644 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA83FA103.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.