Cessna U206F accident near Nimrod, Oregon, August 19, 1991
On August 19, 1991 at about 4:30 am local time, a Cessna U206F, registered N35831, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nimrod, Oregon. 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 FRACTURED CRANKSHAFT RESULTING IN ENGINE SEIZURE FOLLOWED BY A FORCED LANDING ON ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE NOSE GEAR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1991 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Nimrod, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206F · all U206Fs on the register
- Registration
- N35831 · no longer on the register · serial U20602744
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND ULTIMATELY SEIZED. THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING DURING DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS ONTO ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN WITHIN A LOGGING CLEARCUT AREA. DURING THE ROLLOUT THE NOSE GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER TO AN INVERTED POSITION RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. SUBSEQUENT DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A FATIGUE CRACK WHICH GENERATED INTO A FRACTURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT. THE CRACK WAS OBSERVED TO EMANATE FROM THE OIL TUBE PASSAGE HOLE IN THE NUMBER FOUR SHORT CHEEK OF THE CRANKSHAFT.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,400 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 3,650 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,116 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 2, 1991; 19 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: 5S2 Crescent Lake OR at 4:00 am
- Destination: MMV Mcminnville OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:54 am from EUG, 34 miles away
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.