- Date
- November 5, 1989, 12:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Thelma, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2566XCessna P206
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891105044279A
- Case key
- 23073
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to drain all the water from the fuel system during preflight.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
About 10 minutes after takeoff, the plt switched from the right to the left fuel tank and the engine quit. His restart attempts were unsuccesfful and he set up a forced landing approach to an open field. On final, the acft struck power lines and subsequently impacted the ground. Investigation revealed large quantities of water throughout the fuel system and engine. The fuel caps were of the proper kind and in good condition. The plt stated that the acft had been topped off 6 days prior to the accident and that he sumped the tanks prior to takeoff. It was determined that the acft had flown at least once after the last refueling. The acft had been tied down outside at an airport that had received 5 inches of rain during the week preceding the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2566X
- Reported as
- Cessna P206
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- P206-0066
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-A, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lister, John C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- 74R · San Antonio, TX
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 66
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,276 total · 141 in this make and model · 5,310 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SSF, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.