Cessna 206 accident near Stockton, California, October 18, 2019
On October 18, 2019 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1999 Cessna 206, registered N11379, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Stockton, California (Stockton Metropolitan Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2019 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Stockton, California · Stockton Metropolitan Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206 H, built 1999 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N11379 · registry record · serial 20608077
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were departing on a flight to practice instrument approaches. About 150 ft above ground level (agl), the engine “surged” then “smoothed out.” The airplane continued to climb, but the pilots elected to conduct a precautionary landing. The pilot continued the climb and made a left turn for the traffic pattern. During the turn, the engine lost total power at 380 ft agl and the instructor took control of the airplane. He landed the airplane in an empty lot; the airplane continued through a perimeter fence and impacted a semi-trailer parked along an adjacent roadway. The airplane came to rest nose down against the fence and semi-trailer, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and forward fuselage. The postaccident airframe and engine examination revealed low fuel pressure at the fuel injectors into the cylinders. The electric fuel pump tested normally; however, low fuel pressure was noted exiting the fuel servo. The fuel servo was removed and functionally tested. The fuel flow tested slightly below manufacturer’s specifications; however, it still would have provided adequate fuel for normal operation. A teardown of the fuel servo’s metering section did not reveal any anomalies. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 206 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 82 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 22, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,176 hours in all; 453 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 2,095 as pilot in command; 818 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 13, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,513 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 4, 2019; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,605 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 1,149 hours total
- Operator: County Of San Joaquin
The flight
- Departed from: SCK Stockton CA at 1:00 am
- Destination: SCK Stockton CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29L, 4,448 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on May 25, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Email - FAA Engine Examination Observations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Fuel Servo Examination | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation - Lycoming Representative | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Evidence Control Form - Fuel Servo | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | On Scene Photos - Courtesy of Local Law Enforcement | PDF, 4 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.