Cessna U206E accident near Renton, Washington, March 20, 1996
On March 20, 1996 at about 9:39 pm local time, a Cessna U206E, registered N1460M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Renton, Washington (Renton Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's initiation of a flight with a known disqualifying heart condition, and his subsequent inflight incapacitation from a heart attack. A factor relating to the accident was: the inability of the non-rated passenger (unqualified person) to attain a successful landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 1996 · about 9:39 pm local time
- Place
- Renton, Washington · Renton Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206E · all U206Es on the register
- Registration
- N1460M · no longer on the register · serial U20601460
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot became incapacitated in flight, requiring his non-pilot passenger to take the controls. The passenger contacted the air traffic control tower at Renton, Washington and requested assistance. A Renton tower controller, who was also a certificated flight instructor, then 'talked the passenger down' to a landing at Renton. The passenger landed the floatplane hard on the airport's paved runway, substantially damaging the aircraft. The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene. An FAA second-class medical certificate, dated November 21, 1994, was found in the pilot's personal effects at the scene. An autopsy attributed the pilot's death to 'severe arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease' and classified the manner of his death as natural. The pilot indicated on his application for his medical certificate, dated November 18, 1994, that he had no history of heart or vascular trouble. However, medical records on file at two Seattle-area hospitals documented that the pilot had been admitted to those hospitals in 1991 with diagnoses of myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease, both disqualifying conditions for a second-class medical certificate per Federal Aviation Regulations.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNT at 9:08 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 5,379 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:29 pm from RNT
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.