- Date
- December 8, 1996, 09:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mammoth Lakes, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N756UPCessna TU206G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961208042469A
- Case key
- 29708
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 loss of power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's inappropriate use of flaps and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during the subsequent landing attempt.
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
The pilot reported that about 40 miles south of the airport the fuel pressure dropped and he turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and continued the descent for landing. On final approach the aircraft was low and he added throttle, with no response. The pilot noted that the stall warning was sounding and he lowered the nose slightly to prevent a stall. The aircraft landed hard on the runway threshold and collapsed the nose gear. The pilot told responding police officers that at 100 feet agl on final the engine lost power and a high rate of descent developed. He further told the responding officers that he 'put on full flaps to slow his free fall,' and when that did not work, he lowered the nose to regain speed. The aircraft collided with the runway on the nose gear, collapsing it, and damaging the propeller. The Safety Board was notified of the accident 2 weeks after the occurrence, and after the aircraft had been moved and disassembled. The total fuel quantity and the distribution among the tanks was not ascertained. The Safety Board located the aircraft at the salvage facility who transported it from the accident site. The engine was started and successfully test run using the airframe systems.
Factual narrative
On December 8, 1996, at 0900 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna TU206G, N756UP, collapsed the nose landing gear during a hard landing on runway 09 at the Mammoth Lakes, California, airport following a loss of engine power on final approach. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and the two passengers on board were not injured. The flight originated at Fullerton, California, on the day of the accident about 0720 as a personal cross-country flight to Mammoth.
In his written statement, the pilot reported that about 40 miles south of the airport the fuel pressure dropped and he turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and continued the descent for landing. On final approach the aircraft was low and he added throttle, with no response. The pilot noted that the stall warning was sounding and he lowered the nose slightly to prevent a stall. The aircraft landed hard on the runway threshold and collapsed the nose gear.
Mammoth Lakes Police officers responded to the scene and interviewed the pilot. According to their report, the pilot stated that at 100 feet agl on final the engine lost power and a high rate of descent developed. He further told the responding officers that he "put on full flaps to slow his free fall," and when that did not work, he lowered the nose to regain speed. The aircraft collided with the runway on the nose gear, collapsing it and damaging the propeller.
The aircraft was recovered by National Aircraft, Long Beach, California. Following recovery, the engine was started and test run using the airframe systems.
The Safety Board was notified of the accident on December 23, 1996, after the aircraft had been moved and disassembled. The total fuel quantity and the distribution among the tanks was not ascertained.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N756UP
- Reported as
- Cessna TU206G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20604369
- Airframe hours
- 2,280
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-M, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David D. Rastavan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 30, 1996 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Destination
- MMH
- Airport
- MMH · Mammoth Lakes, runway 9, 7,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,222 total · 722 in this make and model · 1,064 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.