Cessna 152 accident near Lapace, Louisiana, June 20, 2001
On June 20, 2001 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N1FC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lapace, Louisiana (Saint John The Baptist airport). It was an instructional 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
the student pilot flared the airplane high, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2001 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lapace, Louisiana · Saint John The Baptist · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N1FC · registry record · serial 152-84571
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot indicated that his traffic pattern was normal; however, when he flared, the airplane floated down the runway and gained some altitude. As the airplane "slowed, and neared a stall," the student pilot applied full power; however, that "did not effect the airplane's airspeed due to the high pitch altitude." The airplane "fell out of the sky approximately 8 feet" and impacted the runway with the main landing gear. The airplane bounced into the air, yawed to the right, and impacted the ground with the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear. The airplane skidded to the left, and the left wing impacted the ground. When the left wing impacted the ground, the airplane yawed left, collapsing the nose landing gear. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest upright on the left side of the runway.
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: student
- Flight time: 56 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 19 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 11, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTR Baton Rouge LA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: NEW New Orleans LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.