Mooney M-18LA accident near New Iberia, Louisiana, July 7, 1984
On July 7, 1984 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Mooney M-18LA, registered N4090, was destroyed in an accident near New Iberia, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 1984 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Iberia, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-18LA · all M-18LAs on the register
- Registration
- N4090 · no longer on the register · serial 125
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PLT WITNESS OBSERVED THE ACFT IN A 20 TO 30 DEG DIVE AT HIGH SPEED JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE REPORTED THAT AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 1200 TO 1300 FT, THE ACFT BEGAN A PULL-UP. AS THE PULL-UP WAS STARTED, THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE ACFT'S LEFT WING FOLDED UPWARD & THE ACFT INTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DIVE & CRASHED. THE OUTBOARD 3 FT OF THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND RELATIVELY INTACT. THE REMAINDER OF THE WING WAS BROKEN IN NUMEROUS PIECES. ALSO, THE LEFT AILERON WAS BENT UPWARD ABOUT 3 FT FROM ITS OUTBOARD END. AN EXAM OF THE WOODEN STRUCTURE REVEALED DISCOLORATION IN THE FRACTURE AREA. EVIDENCE OF WOOD DETERIORATION & DECAY WAS FOUND IN LOCALIZED AREAS AROUND WING FASTENERS. A TOXICOLOGICAL CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED SOME ALCOHOL (0.04%); HOWEVER, THE PLT'S BODY HAD NOT BEEN IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL DUE TO PUTREFACTION WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE PLT'S LAST MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS DATED 12/18/81.
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: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 1983; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-145-B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ARA New Iberia LA at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from ARA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW84FA302.