Cessna 172 accident near Houma, Louisiana, May 21, 2020
On May 21, 2020 at about 7:20 pm local time, a 2001 Cessna 172, registered N365CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Houma, Louisiana (Houma-Terrebonne airport). It was an aerial observation 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 pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a ground obstacle during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2020 · about 7:20 pm local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- Houma, Louisiana · Houma-Terrebonne · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2001 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N365CP · registry record · serial 172S8838
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot and passenger were returning to the airport after completing the pipeline patrol. As the airplane approached the airport, the pilot listened to the recorded weather and contacted the air traffic control tower. The reported wind was steady at 12 to 15 kts from 170°. The pilot was cleared to land on runway 18, and the pilot stated that he "set up for a short field landing in order to make the first taxiway on the right." He said that just before getting to the threshold of the runway, the wind "either quit or abruptly reduced" and the plane started to "sink" rapidly. The pilot thought he had cleared the runway threshold lights and added "a little" back pressure on the flight control yolk. The airplane's left horizontal stabilizer struck a runway threshold light resulting in substantial damage. The pilot indicated that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions with the airplane during the flight.
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
- Landing area undershoot during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,716.8 hours in all; 2,498.6 in this make and model; 181 in the last 90 days; 64.9 in the last 30 days; 6,132.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 21, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,139.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 9, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 L2A (piston); 8,608 hours total
- Operator: Barr Air Patrol Llc
The flight
- Departed from: HUM Houma LA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: HUM Houma LA
- Runway 18, 6,508 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from KHUM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – Entire Left Horizontal Stabilizer with Damage
Photo 2 – Closer View of Damage to Left Horizontal StabilizerThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N365CP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N365CP on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,691 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 L2A 2,650 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Houma-Terrebonne Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Louisiana 1,274 since 1982 · 189 in the last ten years
- Louisiana 3,730 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N365CP 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN20CA195.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.