Smith TEAM TANGO 2 accident near Dry Creek, Louisiana, December 6, 2000
On December 6, 2000 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Smith TEAM TANGO 2, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N6204D, was destroyed in an accident near Dry Creek, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's VFR flight into IMC while in cruise, which resulted in his loss of control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. Contributing factors were the clouds, and icing weather conditions, and the inadequate weather briefing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2000 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dry Creek, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Smith TEAM TANGO 2 TEAM TANGO, amateur-built
- Registration
- N6204D · no longer on the register · serial TT006
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated private pilot obtained a weather briefing for a planned cross-country flight at 9,500 feet in his amateur-built airplane. The weather briefing was inadequate because it was void of a route synopsis, radar or satellite data, and it contained limited current weather conditions and area forecasts for the route of flight. However, the weather briefing did include information concerning AIRMETS for instrument flight and icing conditions. A weather study revealed that instrument meteorological conditions and marginal visual meteorological conditions existed in the accident area around the time of the accident. Icing conditions also existed between 8,000 and 12,000 feet. The airplane was located along a creek bank in a heavily wooded area. It was noted that none of the trees surrounding the accident area appeared to have any impact damage.
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: 2,000 hours in all; 40 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GTU Georgtown TX at 5:35 pm
- Destination: GNV Gainesville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 113°F (45°C), dew point 113°F (45°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from POE, 20 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.