Cessna U206F accident near Donnelly, Idaho, November 6, 2013
On November 6, 2013 at about 4:10 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna U206F, registered N206KL, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Donnelly, Idaho. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering in likely low-ceiling and low-visibility conditions in mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 6, 2013 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Donnelly, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206F, built 1975 · all U206Fs on the register
- Registration
- N206KL · registry record · serial U20602655
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before departing on the cross-country flight over mountainous terrain, the accident pilot and two other pilots going to the same remote airstrip discussed the weather and checked webcams positioned throughout the passes. The accident pilot took off first and flew south before turning east to cross the mountains, while the other two pilots chose to fly north before crossing the mountains. Inflight radio communications from the accident pilot indicated that when he first turned east to cross the mountains, he encountered weather that required him to turn around and fly further south before turning east again. No further radio communications from the accident pilot were heard. The other two pilots reported encountering marginal weather with low clouds during their flights to the destination, which they completed without incident. Flight track data downloaded from the accident airplane's onboard GPS unit indicated that, during the final 40 seconds of the flight, the airplane made a left turn of about 90 degrees followed by a right turn of about 180 degrees while maintaining an altitude of about 8,150 ft. This flightpath suggests that the pilot was following the contour of the horseshoe-shaped ridgeline at that location. However, the ridgeline varied in elevation between about 8,000 and 8,200 ft, and the airplane impacted steep, heavily wooded terrain about 100 ft below the top of the ridgeline. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Due to the location of the accident site, weather reporting stations and weather products were limited. Satellite imagery did not show low-level clouds because of a mid-level cloud layer at 15,000 ft. A weather model run to simulate relative humidity over the accident site revealed that the lower altitudes above terrain likely had a much lower visibility with relative humidity greater than 98%. Thus, it is likely that the pilot was maneuvering the airplane in or near low clouds when he lost visual contact with the ground resulting in controlled flight into terrain.
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
- VFR encounter with IMC during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low visibility › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,841 hours in all; 2,158 in this make and model; 126 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 3,690 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 29, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,511 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 23, 2013; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continential Motors IO 550F (piston); 3,203 hours total
- Operator: Mccall Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mccall ID at 4:00 pm
- Destination: C53 Lower Loon Cree ID
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; a few clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from MYL, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.