Aircraft model
CESSNA TU206
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The turbocharged Stationair, in 1979 TU206G form. It is the same six-seat fixed-gear utility aeroplane as the U206 with a turbocharged 310 hp Continental, which transforms its performance out of hot and high airfields and lets it cruise at about 164 knots in the mid-teens. Operators in mountainous country and at altitude buy them specifically for that.
The turbocharger is both the reason to buy one and the main expense. The TSIO-520 runs hot, is less tolerant of careless power handling than a normally aspirated engine, and is hard on exhaust systems and turbochargers — cracked exhaust components are the recurring inspection item and a carbon monoxide risk. Overhauls are expensive and often come early. The 27,000-foot ceiling is theoretical without pressurisation; in practice everyone aboard is on oxygen above the mid-teens, which with six people is a real logistical burden. As a load-hauler out of high strips, though, it does something few piston singles can.
What it is
| Seats | 6 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental TSIO-520-M (turbocharged) |
| Horsepower | 310 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1977 |
| Production end | 1986 |
| Endorsements required | high-performance |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 164 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 600 nm |
| Service ceiling | 27,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,030 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 54 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,810 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,395 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 6 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,580 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 1,214 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 3,600 lb |
| Empty weight | 2,020 lb |
| Usable fuel | 61 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 18 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $195,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $400,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,400 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $60,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $85,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 5 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 1 |
| Median year built | 1981.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | — |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | — |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 0 |
| Transfers per 100 active | — |
| Airworthiness directives | 3 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | none |
Peer scores
A score runs from 0 to 10 within the model's peer class: a position, not a grade, and the six are never added together.
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 5-6 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | — · class median 38.14 · 73 models in class |
| Severity | — · class median 8.33 |
| Access | — · class median 1,794 |
| Support | 0.8 of 10 · class median 81 |
| Liquidity | — · class median 17.96 |