What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 18, 2020, about 1041 pacific daylight time, a Cessna T206 airplane, N756TH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Auburn municipal airport (aun), Auburn, California. The pilot was fatally injured, and the pilot rated passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 personal flight.
The passenger reported that the pilot planned to fly another airplane he owned, however, noted discrepancies during the preflight and opted to fly the accident airplane, that he also owned. The passenger stated no discrepancies were noted during the preflight of the second airplane.
The passenger stated that shortly after takeoff, during the initial climb, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to execute an emergency landing, but lost control and the airplane impacted terrain. The passenger reported that there were no warning lights or alerts in the cockpit prior to impact.
Preliminary radar data indicated that the airplane departed runway 25, turned to the left while climbing to about 155 ft above sea level (AGL). The airplane then turned 90° to the right and started to descend until radar data was lost about 1,500 ft north-west of the departure end of the runway 25. The entire flight lasted less than one minute.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 18, 2020, ABOUT 1041 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA T206 AIRPLANE, N756TH, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR AUBURN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (AUN), AUBURN, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, AND THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE PILOT PLANNED TO FLY ANOTHER AIRPLANE HE OWNED, HOWEVER, NOTED DISCREPANCIES DURING THE PREFLIGHT AND OPTED TO FLY THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, THAT HE ALSO OWNED. THE PASSENGER STATED NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED DURING THE PREFLIGHT OF THE SECOND AIRPLANE.
THE PASSENGER STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE AN EMERGENCY LANDING, BUT LOST CONTROL AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR ALERTS IN THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO IMPACT.
PRELIMINARY RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED RUNWAY 25, TURNED TO THE LEFT WHILE CLIMBING TO ABOUT 155 FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL (AGL). THE AIRPLANE THEN TURNED 90° TO THE RIGHT AND STARTED TO DESCEND UNTIL RADAR DATA WAS LOST ABOUT 1,500 FT NORTH-WEST OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY 25. THE ENTIRE FLIGHT LASTED LESS THAN ONE MINUTE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.