WPR16LA003

The private pilot was on approach to his home airport when the airplane crashed behind a restaurant about 1 mile from the airport and sustained damage to the wings and left fuel tank. The pilot was seriously injured and did not respond to repeated requests for information about the circumstances of the accident. The postaccident airframe and engine examination revealed that the No. 2 cylinder top spark plug had combustion deposits on the electrode and the insulator was broken; however, the examination revealed no other evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Although it is possible that the engine experienced a degradation of power that could have resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain altitude to reach the airport, the reason for the airplane's collision with the ground short of the runway could not be determined based on the available evidence.

On October 2, 2015, about 1835 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna TU206G, N206HL, impacted terrain about 1 mile southeast from the Fall City Airport (1WA6), Fall City, Washington. The private pilot was seriously injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Global Ventures, Inc., and the pilot was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from the Portland-Hillsboro Airport (HIO), Portland, Oregon about 1700. The flight was destined for 1WA6. According to records provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane was initially on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan to Boeing Field/King County International Airport (BFI), Seattle, Washington. The pilot cancelled the IFR flight plan with air traffic controllers, and then proceeded under visual flight rules (VFR) to 1WA6. The pilot had no further radio contact with any air traffic facilities. Emergency responders reported that they received a call regarding a downed airplane that had come to rest behind the Fall City Beach Grill. They reported that the wings were damaged, and the left fuel tank had ruptured, and fuel was leaking. FAA inspectors responded to the accident site. They stated that the engine mounts and engine separated from the firewall and the nose landing gear fork had sheared. A postaccident engine examination was accomplished under the auspices of the FAA, and Continental Motors Inc. The visual examination revealed no holes in the crankcase. The engine remained attached to the airframe through the engine mounts; it sustained minor impact damage. The propeller assembly remained attached to the crankshaft. Two of the propeller blades had aft bending and chord wise scratches while the third blade was not damaged. The exhaust system remained attached and secured to the cylinders and turbocharger. No leaks were noted with the induction system. Both magnetos remained attached and secured to their respective mounting pads on the engine; spark was obtained at the posts for both magnetos. The spark plugs remained secured to their cylinders and ignition leads. The number 2 top spark plug displayed a significant amount of combustion deposits on the electrode, as well as a broken insulator. The other spark plugs displayed normal operating and wear signatures. The propeller was removed from the crankshaft, and the crankshaft was rotated using a hand tool. Valve train and mechanical continuity was established, and thumb compression was obtained during manual rotation. The crankshaft was corroded aft of the propeller flange just forward of the crankshaft seal. With the exception of the number 2-cylinder top spark plug, there were no other anomalies noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot did not return NTSB form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report. Multiple attemptswere made to contact the pilot to determine what the nature of the emergency was that he had encountered while en route to 1WA6; however, he did not respond.