Beech 65 A90 1 accident near Slidell, Louisiana, April 20, 2016
On April 20, 2016 at about 2:15 am local time, a 1968 Beech 65 A90 1, registered N7MC, was destroyed in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Slidell, Louisiana (Slidell airport). It was a public-use flight (local) under public-use (government) rules. 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The unstable approach in black-hole conditions, resulting in the airplane overshooting the runway extended centerline and descending well below a safe glidepath for the runway. Contributing to the accident was the lack of monitoring by the copilot allowing the pilot to fly well below a normal glidepath.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2016 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Slidell, Louisiana · Slidell · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65 A90 1, built 1968 · all 65 A90 1s on the register
- Registration
- N7MC · registry record · serial LM-106
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight (local) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot and commercial copilot were conducting a mosquito abatement application flight. Although flight controls were installed in both positions, the pilot typically operated the airplane. During a night, visual approach to landing at their home airfield, the airplane was on the left base leg and overshot the runway's extended centerline and collided with 80-ft-tall power transmission towers and then impacted terrain. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Both pilots were experienced with night operations, especially at their home airport. The pilot had conducted operations at the airport for 14 years and the copilot for 31 years, which might have led to crew complacency on the approach . Adequate visibility and moon disk illumination were available; however, the area preceding the runway is a marsh and lacks cultural lighting, which can result in black-hole conditions in which pilots may perceive the airplane to be higher than it actually is while conducting an approach visually. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot experiencing the black hole illusion which contributed to him flying an approach profile that was too low for the distance remaining to the runway. It is likely that the pilot did not maintain adequate crosscheck of his altimeter and radar altimeter during the approach and that the copilot did not monitor the airplane's progress; thus, the flight crew did not recognize that they were not maintaining a safe approach path. Further, it is likely that neither pilot used the visual glidepath indicator at the airport, which is intended to be a countermeasure against premature descent in visual conditions.
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
- Altitude deviation during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Copilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,769 hours in all; 22.8 in this make and model; 6.9 in the last 90 days; 6.9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,163 hours in all; 614 in this make and model; 14.3 in the last 90 days; 7.4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 23, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,208 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2015; 18 hours since
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 (turboprop); 9,695 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 (turboprop); 7,431 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ASD Slidell LA at 1:00 am
- Destination: ASD Slidell LA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KASD, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.