Golden Circle Air T-Bird accident near Newellton, Louisiana, May 21, 2002
On May 21, 2002, a Golden Circle Air T-Bird, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near Newellton, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane resulting in an inadvertant spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2002
- Place
- Newellton, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Golden Circle Air T-Bird
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-certificated pilot of the unregistered airplane was demonstrating stalls to a passenger at an altitude of approximately 400 to 500 feet agl. After completing several power on stalls, he initiated a power off stall, from which recovery was successful. The pilot then performed another power off stall, when the left wing dropped and the airplane started to spin. The pilot released control of the airplane so it would recover on its own. However, the airplane continued in the spin, subsequently impacting an open field in a left wing low, nose down altitude. The pilot stated that as far as he knew the airplane was spin resistant.
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
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax G18 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Newellton LA
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 040° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from MUL, 57 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 UNREG 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.