Cessna 172 accident near Shreveport, Louisiana, June 19, 2015
On June 19, 2015 at about 10:15 pm local time, a 1956 Cessna 172, registered N5743A, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Shreveport, Louisiana (Shreveport Downtown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of airplane control during initial climb after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because an examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2015 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Shreveport, Louisiana · Shreveport Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172, built 1956 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5743A · no longer on the register · serial 28343
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing touch-and-go landings at a controlled airport. During the accident takeoff, the airplane was observed in a nose-high attitude. The pilot made an abbreviated radio call indicating that he was returning to the airport. The airplane rolled to the left, nosed over, impacted the ground with its left wing, cartwheeled on its nose, and came to rest upright. An on-scene examination revealed no preimpact flight control anomalies, and the pilot's seat was found pinned in a seat rail's hole, indicating that the loss of control was not the result of inadvertent slippage of the seat. The engine was test run and no anomalies were noted. The airplane was equipped with lap belts, and it did not have (nor was it required to have) shoulder harnesses. The pilot sustained injuries that were consistent with unrestrained upper body impact with the control yoke. No medical issues were identified with the pilot that would have contributed to the accident.
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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 3, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bag Flying Club INC
The flight
- Departed from: DTN Shreveport LA
- Destination: DTN Shreveport LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KDTN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on December 10, 2015. 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 | Maintenance Records - Engine Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Records - Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Miscellaneous Information - Pilot Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Wreckage Diagram Supplied by Textron Aviation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photos | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.