Cessna U206F accident near Crane Island, Washington, August 5, 1996
On August 5, 1996 at about 4:25 pm local time, a Cessna U206F, registered N8313Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crane Island, Washington (Crane Island (Private) airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 pilot's failure to correctly judge the surface winds in the vicinity of the runway. Factors relating to the accident were: a tailwind during landing, a short runway with a wet surface, and an embankment/drop-off at the end of the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 1996 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Crane Island, Washington · Crane Island (Private) · 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
- N8313Q · no longer on the register · serial U20603174
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before landing at the 1,800 foot long grass strip on Crane Island, the pilot flew over the strip to check its condition and to determine the wind direction. After the over-flight, he believed the wind was calm, so he elected to make his approach over water to the southeast. During roll-out on the wet/grass airstrip, the pilot was unable to stop before coming to the end. The aircraft then went over an embankment/drop-off at the end of the strip at an estimated speed of 10 to 12 mph. After the accident, the pilot determined that there had been an 8 to 10 knot tailwind, but the wind sock had not accurately reflected such a wind.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,285 hours in all; 196 in this make and model; 328 in the last 90 days; 102 in the last 30 days; 1,234 as pilot in command; 18 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,601 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 31, 1996; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: West Isle Air
The flight
- Departed from: FRH Friday Harbor WA at 4:15 pm
- Runway 13, 1,800 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N8313Q 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.