Cessna U206B accident near Cascade, Idaho, November 2, 2010
On November 2, 2010 at about 8:12 pm local time, a Cessna U206B, registered N3488L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Cascade, Idaho (Cascade airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during a turn onto the final approach leg of the traffic pattern.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2010 · about 8:12 pm local time
- Place
- Cascade, Idaho · Cascade · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206B · all U206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3488L · no longer on the register · serial U206-0788
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who was flying the second airplane in a flight of two, was maneuvering in the traffic pattern at a remote back-country airstrip. The approach to the airstrip required the pilots to make a precise base leg to final turn between two steep rock cliffs. During the accident pilot's turn to final approach, he inadvertently made too wide of a turn, resulting in the airplane's nose and right main landing gear colliding with the cliff and becoming separated from the airframe. After the pilot in the other airplane confirmed the extent of the damage, the pilot flying the accident airplane maneuvered to a town where emergency personnel could be available on the ground. Due to the damage, the pilot decided to land in the grass/turf area alongside the main runway. During the landing roll, the nose gear strut dug into the soft terrain and the airplane nosed over onto its back.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 1,700 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 30, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-520B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wilson Bar ID at 7:58 pm
- Destination: U70 Cascade ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 N3488L 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.