Cessna U206G N6355U

Summary

On 12 September 1995 at about 15:25 local time, a Cessna U206G registered N6355U, operated by U.s. Dept. of Agriculture, was involved in an accident near Dos Palos, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 September 1995 at 15:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Dos Palos, California, United States

Coordinates

37.0695, -120.6308

Aircraft

Cessna U206G

Registration

N6355U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

U.s. Dept. of Agriculture

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Shafter → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95GA334

2 people died.

the pilot-in-command's failure to assure that adequate airspeed was maintained.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft was on contract to the USDA to dispense sterile Bullworm moths over selected farm fields. The pilot was required to fly at 500 feet agl and 110 knots. A pilot-rated passenger was carried on this flight so that the pilot could evaluate him for possible employment. Ground witnesses first observed the aircraft in a nose-down attitude spinning through an altitude of 500 feet agl. After two turns the aircraft stopped spinning, but continued descending in a nose-down attitude to ground impact. The aircraft crashed between two planned dispensing points in flat open farm land under VFR conditions with moderate temperatures and mild winds. Both occupants held commercial pilot certificates, were current in the aircraft, and had previously flown together on similar flights. Both pilots sustained hand/arm injuries consistent with control manipulation at impact. Both occupants were found outside the aircraft, the pilot on the right side and the pilot-rated passenger on the left. The aircraft was found to be properly loaded with no evidence found of in-flight mechanical, electrical, or structural failures/malfunctions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.