What happened
On August 29, 2024, a Cessna T206H, registration N712AM, was destroyed following an accident near Yellow Pine, Idaho. The flight, operated under 14 CFR Part 91, originated from Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (DVT) and included intermediate stops at St George Regional Airport (SGU) and Jerome County Airport (JER).
After departing Jerome County Airport at approximately 1430, the aircraft climbed to 12,000 feet. ADS-B data shows the aircraft began a descent at 1526, reaching an altitude of 9,875 feet approximately 11 miles south of Johnson Creek Airport (3U2) at 1532. The weather at the time was VMC with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 340 degrees at 07 knots.
Witnesses at the airport, which features a 3,400-foot by 150-foot turf runway situated within a canyon, observed the aircraft performing a high-speed approach. One witness reported the airplane landed midfield with full flaps and a flat pitch attitude, bouncing twice without a significant flare. Following the second bounce, the nose dropped aggressively. The witness noted an increase in engine speed, suggesting an attempt to take off, and observed the aircraft climb with an aggressive nose-up attitude, appearing to avoid terrain at the end of the runway. The aircraft then rolled left and descended into the trees, followed by a fireball.
There were 2 fatal injuries involving the pilot and the passenger.
The investigation
The main wreckage was located on a rock-strewn slope 1,750 feet south and 60 feet above the departure end of runway 17, an area surrounded by conifer trees up to 100 feet tall. The first point of impact was identified at the top of an 85-foot tree, which lost a section of the outboard right wing and aileron.
Investigators located the right wingtip fuel tank approximately 140 feet beyond the initial impact. Further debris, including a serrated propeller tip and landing light assembly, was found 40 feet downslope from the tip tank. Most of the aircraft was consumed by fire, leaving charred remnants of the lower fuselage, empennage, and wing structures. The flap motor jackscrew indicated a flap position between 5° and 10° at the time of the accident.