Cessna U206E N206EC

Summary

On 9 June 1997 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna U206E registered N206EC, operated by Cheney, Ernest, J., was involved in an accident near Red Lodge, Montana, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 June 1997 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Red Lodge, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.1898, -109.2400

Aircraft

Cessna U206E

Registration

N206EC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Cheney, Ernest, J.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Glendive → McCall

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA97FA133

3 people died.

The pilot-in-command's flight into known adverse weather and the subsequent overload and separation of the right wing-strut fuselage-to-strut attach point. Factors contributing were clouds and obscuration.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non instrument-rated pilot obtained two separate weather briefings on the late afternoon and following morning prior to departing on his intended flight from Glendive, MT, to McCall, ID. He was advised by the briefer that 'VFR flight was not recommended' due to a low pressure system in Montana along with obscurations. The flight departed Glendive; and approximately 4 hours later, the pilot radioed Great Falls AFSS looking for a VFR airport available for landing. Witnesses observed seeing the aircraft exit clouds (bases approximately 6,000 feet MSL or 800 feet AGL) and break up, with both wings separating. Weather at the site was described as 'low clouds' and 'overcast' with poor visibility. Both wing struts separated at the strut-to-fuselage attach points, and the right wing was found in two separate pieces just short of the intact left wing. Both wings impacted terrain short of the fuselage ground impact site. The wing spar carry-through channel was observed to have separated just inboard of the right wing-root to fuselage attach point. The fracture surfaces were characteristic of instantaneous overload separations. All horizontal and vertical control surfaces remained with the fuselage except the right elevator.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.