Cessna 172K accident near Bogalusa, Louisiana, April 10, 2004
On April 10, 2004 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N84623, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bogalusa, Louisiana (George R Carr Memorial Air Fld airport). It was an instructional 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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2004 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bogalusa, Louisiana · George R Carr Memorial Air Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N84623 · no longer on the register · serial 1758550
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 716-hour pilot reported the cross-country flight was uneventful. After establishing a wide base leg for the runway, carburetor heat was applied, and engine power was reduced. During the descent, "power was added several times to prevent spark plug fouling." After a normal touch-and-go landing, the pilot noted all the engine instruments "in the green," and proceeded to take off. At an altitude of approximately 300 feet agl, the pilot noticed a "large drop of rpm," and the airplane was unable to hold altitude. The pilot "pushed the nose over and landed straight ahead." The reason for the loss of engine power was undetermined.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 716 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 641 as pilot in command; 251 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 28, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,704.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 29, 2004; 37.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0R0 Columbia MS at 7:15 pm
- Destination: BXA Bogalusa LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.