Cessna 152 accident near Abita Springs, Louisiana, August 10, 2004
On August 10, 2004 at about 5:30 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6326B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Abita Springs, Louisiana (St. Tammany Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance. The pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather and dark night conditions are contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2004 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- Abita Springs, Louisiana · St. Tammany Regional Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6326B · no longer on the register · serial 15283920
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A 394-hour non-instrument rated private pilot departed from the runway, made a right turn, and subsequently impacted 30 to 40 foot pine trees. The airplane came to rest on the ground in a nose low attitude, in a right bank, approximately 1,888 feet northeast of the departure end of the runway. In a written statement, the passenger, who was the pilot's wife, reported that it was "very dark," and upon takeoff they realized that "there was no visible horizon due to the prevailing clouds." She added that she assisted her husband by holding a flashlight which illuminated the instrument panel during the short flight. She also reported that the pilot has no memory of the accident or the month following the accident.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 394 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,245.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 2004; 1,245.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0235-l2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L31 Covington LA at 5:25 am
- Destination: NEW New Orleans LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from ASD, 16 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.
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.