Cessna 182N accident near Paradis, Louisiana, December 29, 2013
On December 29, 2013 at about 8:10 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna 182N, registered N491CC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Paradis, Louisiana (Louis Armstrong New Orleans In airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collision with a bird which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2013 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Paradis, Louisiana · Louis Armstrong New Orleans In · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182N N, built 1971 · all 182Ns on the register
- Registration
- N491CC · registry record · serial 18260654
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying over a bayou canal when a large bird contacted the leading edge of the right wing. He stated he immediately felt a vibration in the control yoke, and had to apply left aileron and left rudder to keep the airplane from rolling to the right. The pilot assessed the aircraft's control capability and decided to return to his departure airport. As he approached the airport, the pilot extended 10 degrees of flaps and slowed the airspeed to 120 mph, still applying left aileron and rudder. While on final approach, as the airspeed reached 90 to 100 mph, the right wing dropped and the airplane rolled between 45 and 90 degrees to the right. The pilot added full power, retracted the flaps, and applied full left aileron and left rudder. The airplane descended to an altitude of 100 feet before the pilot was able to level the wings and begin a climb. The pilot decided to land at the larger nearby airport so that he would have a longer runway and could land at a higher than normal airspeed. The pilot landed the airplane without further incident. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edge of 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
- Birdstrike during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,587.3 hours in all; 103.5 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1.2 in the last 30 days; 1,567.3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,396.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2013; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 (piston); 694 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: LS40 Ama LA at 7:55 pm
- Destination: MSY Bayou Gauche LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 7,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from MSY, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.