Cessna P206 accident near Cascade, Idaho, July 14, 2019
On July 14, 2019 at about 12:30 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna P206, registered N131DV, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Cascade, Idaho (Sulphur Creek Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the pilot’s improper leaning of the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2019 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cascade, Idaho · Sulphur Creek Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P206, built 1965 · all P206s on the register
- Registration
- N131DV · no longer on the register · serial P2060131
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a normal preflight and engine run-up, the airplane departed. About 75 ft above ground level (agl), the engine rpm smoothly deteriorated to a total loss of power. The pilot configured the airplane in a nose-low pitch attitude in an attempt to avoid stalling and made an off-airstrip landing. The pilot could not recall his next actions but thought he may have unintentionally turned the fuel selector to the OFF position after the loss of power, thinking he was switching to the other (fuller) wing tank. The airplane collided with the thick brush off the end of the runway and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. During a postaccident examination, investigators found the fuel selector in the OFF position. The engine successfully started and ran during a test run. The postaccident examination revealed no evidence of a malfunction or failure with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot did not know the reason for the loss of engine power but opined that he possibly leaned the engine too aggressively for the density altitude.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel controlling system › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,560 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 10,442 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 27, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,030 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 2019; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,296 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-F20B (piston); 615 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ID74 Cascade ID at 12:30 pm
- Destination: DIJ Driggs ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 3,300 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 12:30 pm from KLLJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 4, 2022. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Records of Conversation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Examination Notes | 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.