Cessna 208 accident near Mesquite, Nevada, December 17, 2011
On December 17, 2011 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 208, registered N275PM, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Mesquite, Nevada (Mesquite Airport). It was a skydiving 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 improper preflight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 2011 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mesquite, Nevada · Mesquite Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208 · all 208s on the register
- Registration
- N275PM · no longer on the register · serial 20800119
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the flight, the pilot fueled the airplane with 16 gallons of jet fuel. He planned to make two local flights carrying skydivers aloft. During the second skydiving flight, he delayed releasing the skydivers due to traffic in the area. As he turned the airplane back toward the drop zone, the airplane's engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot signaled the skydivers to exit the airplane, feathered the propeller, and executed a forced landing to the runway. The airplane landed long, went off the end of the runway, across a road, and finally came to rest on a golf course. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. He also stated that the cause of the loss of engine power was poor fuel management and fuel exhaustion.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Landing area overshoot during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,022 hours in all; 131 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 19, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K67L Mesquite NV
- Destination: K67L Mesquite NV
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 19, 5,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from KSGU, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.