Cessna 172C accident near Venice, Louisiana, August 15, 2015
On August 15, 2015 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1962 Cessna 172C, registered N1805Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Venice, Louisiana (Port Eads airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain a safe landing approach airspeed with a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2015 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Venice, Louisiana · Port Eads · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172C, built 1962 · all 172Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1805Y · no longer on the register · serial 17249405
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a cross-country personal flight. The pilot reported that, while the airplane was on landing approach with 20 degrees of flaps, an indicated airspeed of 60 mph, and a descent rate of 200 ft per minute, he saw a small rain squall 2 miles south of the airstrip, which was producing a light-to-moderate crosswind. Just before the airplane entered ground effect, its airspeed dropped, and the pilot then applied full power; however, the airplane touched down at the approach end of the runway, which was soft and muddy. The nose gear subsequently sank into the soft ground, and the airplane slid to a stop.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 2, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,481 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 2014; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D-2-C (piston); 2,543 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 66Y Diamondhead MS at 3:30 pm
- Destination: NONE Venice LA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 2,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
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.