Cessna 180J accident near Harvey, Louisiana, June 1, 1983
On June 1, 1983 at about 1:35 pm local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N52072, was destroyed in an accident near Harvey, Louisiana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 1983 · about 1:35 pm local time
- Place
- Harvey, Louisiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180J · all 180Js on the register
- Registration
- N52072 · registry record · serial 18052480
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A NAVIGABLE WATERWAY, HARVEY CANAL, WAS BEING USED AS A SEAPLANE BASE. IN THAT AREA, A SET OF POWER LINES WERE SUSPENDED OVER THE CANAL BY 2 TALL TOWERS. THE LOWEST LINE OVER THE CANAL WAS 160 FT ABOVE THE CANAL SURFACE, BUT THE LINES DROPPED TO HEIGHTS OF DOWN TO 60 FT OVER LAND. THE NORMAL PROCEDURE FOR A SOUTH TAKEOFF WAS TO FLY UNDER THE LINESAFTER LIFT-OFF OR TO TURN & CROSS OVER THE LINES WHERE THEY ARE LOW TO THE GROUND. WHILE TAKING OFF, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO CLIMB NORMALLY TO APRX 30 FT AGL, THEN BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. APRX 500 FT NORTH OF THE POWER LINES, THE ACFT ENTERED AN ABRUPT CLIMB & REPORTEDLY WENT TO A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. IT THEN ROTATED ABOUT THE LEFT WING & DESCENDED VERTICALLY INTO THE CANAL, IMPACTING APRX 100 FT NORTH OF THE POWER LINES. AN EXAM REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PLT HAD BEEN GIVING FLT INSTRUCTION TO THE PASSENGER. IT WAS NOT VERIFIED WHO HAD PULLED THE ACFT UP, BUT THE PLT'S NORMAL PROCEDURE WAS TO FLY UNDER THE WIRES.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,112 hours in all; 60 in the last 90 days; 5,832 as pilot in command; 661 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,190 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 25, 1983; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,190 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Grand Isle LA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from MSY, 10 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.