Cessna U206G accident near Leeville, Louisiana, May 24, 2007
On May 24, 2007 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna U206G, registered N45WT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leeville, Louisiana (Bayou Fourchon airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the operator of the powerboat to maintain separation from the departing floatplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2007 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Leeville, Louisiana · Bayou Fourchon · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206G · all U206Gs on the register
- Registration
- N45WT · registry record · serial U20603846
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The single-engine floatplane collided with a power boat during a water takeoff. The floatplane was departing a privately owned water strip located on a waterway, when an 18 foot powerboat entered the waterway from an intersecting canal and crossed ahead of the floatplane's take-off path. The powerboat then executed a U-turn in front of the aircraft. The 12,911 hour airline transport pilot attempted to avoid the powerboat by attempting to take-off prematurely in order to avoid impacting the powerboat. One of the passenger witnesses stated that they were up to very close take-off speed when he saw the boat approaching at a high rate of speed from the canal. Another passenger stated that he heard a statement from the front passenger "do you have the boat?" and the pilot replied "He's turning into us!" The amphibian float impacted the boat causing the floatplane to nose-over as it impacted the water. A witness, who was standing on the shore, observed the floatplane preparing for takeoff and observed the powerboat execute a 180-degree turn in front of the floatplane. The floatplane sustained structural damage and came to rest partly submerged. The sole occupant of the boat was fatally injured.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,911 hours in all; 4,550 in this make and model; 146 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days; 11,737 as pilot in command; 894 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,606.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO 550 F6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1LA4 Leeville LA
- Destination: 8LA1 Venice LA
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.