Cessna 172RG accident near Abbeville, Louisiana, May 16, 2013
On May 16, 2013 at about 10:00 am local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N5219U, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Abbeville, Louisiana (Abbeville airport). It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly secure the airplane before hand starting the engine and the failure of the brass tie down hook.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2013 · about 10:00 am local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Abbeville, Louisiana · Abbeville · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N5219U · registry record · serial 172RG0287
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's engine battery was dead so the pilot elected to hand-prop the engine. He tied the tail of the airplane down via a brass snap-hook that attached to a metal fastener underneath the airplane's tail section. The snap-hook was attached to a rope that was secured to the ground. The pilot set the parking brake and checked the throttle position; however, he did not secure the wheels with chocks. The engine started on the third attempt and RPM increased as the pilot walked back toward the cockpit. Before he got there, the brass snap-hook broke and the airplane began to roll forward. The pilot was unable to access the cockpit and the airplane traveled unattended until it collided with a parked airplane resulting in substantial damage to the right wing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during standing (engine(s) start-up)
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Tie › down/mooring › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,953 hours in all; 12,500 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 29, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,709 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2013
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Omega Protein INC
The flight
- Departed from: IYA Abbeville LA
- Destination: IYA Abbeville LA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot's Written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5219U on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,680 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER · as the NTSB recorded it
- Abbeville Chris Crusta Memorial · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Louisiana 1,274 since 1982 · 189 in the last ten years
- Louisiana 3,734 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN13CA282.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.