Cessna 185F accident near Jena, Louisiana, November 15, 2000
On November 15, 2000 at about 9:25 pm local time, a Cessna 185F, registered N6232E, was destroyed in an accident near Jena, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to land on a highway with vehicle traffic and obstacles and his failure to maintain proper clearance from the obstacles.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2000 · about 9:25 pm local time
- Place
- Jena, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185F · all 185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6232E · no longer on the register · serial 18504012
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Five witnesses observed the single-engine tail wheel airplane approach and attempt to land on a highway with vehicle traffic. The airplane struck a set of electrical wires that crossed the highway and impacted the surface of the highway. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of a mechanical problem. Toxicological testing revealed .029ug/ml diphenhydramine in the pilot's blood. Diphenhydramine is an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative effects.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,850 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,207 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2000; 280 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-D-3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 2LA7 Oak Grove LA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: NONE Jena LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from ESF, 15 miles away
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.
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.