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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2019 · about 1:00 am local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Stockton, California · Stockton Metropolitan Airport · cases near this 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 other cases naming the engine
- 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 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
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 · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N11379 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 206 Stationair 213 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER 4,223 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Stockton Metro Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,158 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR20LA009.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.