CESSNA TU206 near Pell City, AL — 2025-12-11

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On December 11, 2025, about 1340 central standard time, a Cessna TU206F, N917WC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Pell City, Alabama. The commercial pilot was not injured. The single passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight. The pilot reported that he departed on the aerial observation flight with 107 gallons of fuel onboard for a planned 4-hour flight. About 3 hours and 45 minutes into the flight, the pilot observed fluctuations of the fuel quantity and fuel pressure gauges followed, by a sudden total loss of engine power. After informing air traffic control of the emergency, the pilot made an emergency landing in a field, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the nose landing gear had collapsed and the empennage had partially separated during the forced landing. The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

• Engine shutdown · Landing-flare/touchdown