NTSB Factual Report

On July 6, 2002, at 1308 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T206H, N2453V, piloted by a student pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted in a field between runway 18 (6,300 feet by 150 feet, dry asphalt) and the parallel taxiway at the Jackson Hole Airport, Jackson, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The student pilot reported no injuries. The cross-country flight originated at Driggs, Idaho, at 1245, and was en route to Jackson, Wyoming.

In his written statement, the student pilot said he entered the traffic pattern for runway 18. The tower asked the student pilot to make a short final. The student pilot said, "I accepted their request for a short final. After rolling out of left base, I noticed I was long on base so I immediately turned final. Noticing that my setup was sloppy, I put in power, in order to go around, but the engine was dead." The student pilot said, "Aiming for the scrub between the runway and taxiway, it felt like I lost lift at about 30 feet or so above the runway. The plane dropped from the sky into the scrub about 5 feet left (east) of runway 18. The nose gear collapsed immediately, stopping the prop[eller]s, and the plane skidded a few hundred feet straight ..."

The airport incident report states that the airplane crashed between runway 18 and taxiway A, between taxiway A4 and A3. The report states that the pilot told the airport's representative that his airplane stalled and that was why it crashed.

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. The airplane was resting upright on its lower cowling and main landing gear approximately 700 feet down from the approach end and 173 feet east of the east edge of runway 18. An examination of the airplane showed the nose gear bent aft into the firewall. One of the airplane's three propeller blades was broken aft. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The airplane's engine was retained for further examination.

The airplane's engine was examined at Greeley, Colorado, on August 28, 2002. The engine was run using a two-bladed propeller. Because of this, full power could not be achieved. The engine examination revealed no anomalies consistent with a pre-existing malfunction. An examination of the remaining airplane systems revealed no anomalies.

Repeated attempts to obtain a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) from the student pilot were unsuccessful.

NTSB Probable Cause

the engine failure for undetermined reasons and the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the forced landing attempt. A factor contributing to the accident was the inadvertent stall.