Cessna 206H accident near Redding, California, April 18, 2015
On April 18, 2015 at about 3:38 pm local time, a 2001 Cessna 206H, registered N3535M, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Redding, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's intentional descent into terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2015 · about 3:38 pm local time
- Place
- Redding, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206H, built 2001 · all 206Hs on the register
- Registration
- N3535M · registry record · serial 20608161
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness reported that he saw the airplane climb and then abruptly descend straight down and that it sounded as if the engine was at full power. Radar data indicated that the airplane departed the airport climbing to the east. While still climbing, the airplane made an approximate 360-degree turn. When the airplane reached about 5,500 ft, it descended in a straight line until it impacted the ground. While law enforcement officers were on scene, they received notification of a welfare check on the pilot because he had sent suicidal text messages to friends and family members earlier that morning. The autopsy report determined that the pilot's cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries and blunt force trauma with the manner of death being suicide.
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 maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Miscellaneous › Intentional act › Suicide › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 850 hours in all
- Last flight review: December 2, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,046 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 2015; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SERIES (piston); 1,866 hours total
- Operator: Mcclelland Aviation Inc
The flight
- Departed from: RDD Redding CA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: RDD Redding CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from RDD, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on November 23, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Recorded Air Traffic Control radar Data (Plot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Welfare Check Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Shasta County Sheriff's Office Coroner Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | On Scene Photographs - Courtesy of FAA | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.