Cessna 206 accident near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, June 20, 2007
On June 20, 2007 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 206, registered N4803U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel starvation as result of the pilot's failure to properly position the fuel selector. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2007 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N4803U · no longer on the register · serial U20605109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane lost engine lost power while on final approach after the pilot selected an empty fuel cell during the landing check. The pilot reported that he completed the landing checklist and was cleared to land on Runway 31. While approximately 5 miles out on final approach, the pilot was instructed by approach control to fly a heading of 280-degrees for a right base for Runway 04R. The pilot reported that as he performed his GUMPS check (gas, undercarriage, mixture, propeller, and switches), he moved the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank. The pilot added that at this point, the engine started losing power. The pilot then moved the fuel selector back to the left side to no avail. The pilot declared an emergency and informed the control tower that he would be landing at a nearby football field. About 500 feet short of the intended landing site, the airplane's right wing clipped a tree. The airplane then came to rest in a residential area, with the right wing on top of a house and the left wing on an automobile approximately 2 nautical miles short of the destination airport. The wings and fuselage sustained structural damage. The engine and propeller were also damaged. The FAA inspector, who responded to the site, found that the airplane's fuel selector was not in the left indent position. Five gallons of fuel was drained out of the left fuel tank.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,353 hours in all; 506 in this make and model; 132 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,695 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520 M10B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTR Baton Rouge LA at 2:30 pm
- Destination: BTR Baton Rouge LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N4803U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.