Cessna 182-Q accident near New Roads, Louisiana, August 31, 2002
On August 31, 2002 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Cessna 182-Q, registered N96725, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Roads, Louisiana (False River Air Park airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2002 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- New Roads, Louisiana · False River Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182-Q · all 182-Qs on the register
- Registration
- N96725 · registry record · serial 18266825
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The single-engine airplane landed hard on Runway 36. The 987-hour pilot reported that after completing two touch and go landings, the third landing would be a short field landing followed by a full stop. The pilot stated they were in a stable approach for Runway 36. As the airplane cleared the runway approach lights, the pilot verified the flaps were full down, and the airspeed was 60 knots. The airplane was inside the last light of the approach light system (ALS), between 50 and 100 feet AGL, when she heard the stall warning horn, and the airplane began to rapidly lose altitude. The pilot applied power; however, the airplane continued to lose altitude. The airplane touched down "hard" 40 feet short of the runway, and continued to roll for approximately 1,000 feet before coming to a stop. During the rollout, the pilot reported that the nose dropped abnormally low. The pilot instructed the passengers to unbuckle their seat belts and exit the aircraft as soon as it stopped.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 987 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 925 as pilot in command; 435 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 25, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,680.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 21, 2002; 40.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U18B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Civil Air Patrol Louisiana Wing
The flight
- Departed from: BTR Baton Rouge LA at 3:15 pm
- Destination: HZR New Roads LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from BTR, 20 miles away
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.