Cessna 120 accident near Gonzales, Louisiana, November 6, 2015
On November 6, 2015 at about 6:05 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 120, registered N2942N, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Gonzales, Louisiana (Louisiana Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel’s improper installation of the carburetor during recent maintenance, including the omission of a required cotter pin, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 6, 2015 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Gonzales, Louisiana · Louisiana Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120, built 1947 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N2942N · no longer on the register · serial 13203
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane was on final approach to the airport when the engine started to lose power. He applied carburetor heat and switched fuel tanks, but engine power was not restored, so he made a forced landing to a field near the airport. An examination of the wreckage found that the castellated nut that connects the throttle arm to the carburetor had backed off, which allowed the engine to go to idle, and that the nut's associated cotter pin was missing. The pilot reported that the carburetor had been replaced the day before the accident flight. The accident is consistent with the throttle arm becoming disengaged from the carburetor as a result of a missing cotter pin and the accompanying nut subsequently backing off.
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 engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 15,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 15, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Graham Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: L38 Gonzales LA
- Destination: L38 Gonzales LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KL38, 3 miles away
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 December 1, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Wreckage Exam | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Record (Page) | 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.
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.