Champion Citabria accident near Slidell, Texas, October 6, 2006
On October 6, 2006 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Champion Citabria, registered N6379N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Slidell, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a parked vehicle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2006 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Slidell, Texas
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion Citabria
- Registration
- N6379N · no longer on the register · serial 92
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,769-non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger departed from a nearby private airstrip approximately 1130 and proceeded to a motor park racetrack that was under construction. The landing on the 1,800-foot long hard packed dirt strip was uneventful. After spending 40 minutes to an hour at the construction site, the pilot and his passenger boarded the 1967-model tailwheel-equipped airplane for the return trip. The pilot again utilized the 1,800-foot dirt strip for departure on an easterly direction. As the airplane was departing, the pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report (NTSB 6120.1) that the airplane "became uncontrollable due to unknown causes." Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, revealed that the airplane's right wingtip collided with a parked minivan and the airplane cart-wheeled several times before coming to rest in an inverted position near a steep embankment. The pilot, who was occupying the front seat, was extracted from the airplane by fire-rescue personnel with the aid of the "jaws of life." The passenger on the aft was able to egress the airplane unassisted and suffered minor injuries. A person on the ground that was standing by the parked vehicle was also injured. The pilot reported that he had no recollection of the flight or the ensuing accident. At 1253, the automated surface observing system at the nearest airport, located about 10 miles southeast of the accident site, reported clear skies and wind from 050 at 7 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,769 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5TX0 Shady Shores TX at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from DTO, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.