Cessna 206 accident near Salmon, Idaho, July 23, 1991
On July 23, 1991 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 206, registered N5183U, was destroyed in an accident near Salmon, Idaho. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 5 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING AND DECISIONS AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1991 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salmon, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N5183U · no longer on the register · serial 2060183
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 206 AIR TAXI FLIGHT CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING DURING CLIMBOUT AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE REMOTE MOUNTAIN AIRSTRIP. WITNESSES STATED THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A TURN IN THE NARROW CONFINES OF THE CANYON. THEY OBSERVED THE RIGHT WING DROP A FEW FEET WHILE IN A STEEP LEFT TURN, RECOVER, THEN DROP AGAIN WITH THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING INVERTED TO THE RIGHT BEFORE IMPACT ON THE CANYON WALL.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,910 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 1,670 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Wilderness Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 79U Flying B Ranch ID at 3:30 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 N5183U 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.