Cessna 411A accident near Bossier City, Louisiana, May 8, 1986
On May 8, 1986 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Cessna 411A, registered N49DD, was destroyed in an accident near Bossier City, Louisiana. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 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
- May 8, 1986 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Bossier City, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 411A · all 411As on the register
- Registration
- N49DD · registry record · serial 411-0266
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTEDLY DID AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF ENGINE RUN-UP BEFORE PULLING ONTO THE RUNWAY. HE THEN PERFORMED ANOTHER RUN-UP BEFORE DEPARTING. THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT HE WAS AWARE OF A PROBLEM WITH HIS AIRCRAFT. THE ENGINE(S) WERE POPPING AND PUFFING BLACK SMOKE DURING THE GROUND RUN. YET, THE TAKEOFF WAS CONTINUED. THE POPPING AND SMOKE PUFFING CONTINUED AFTER LIFTOFF. A NOTICEABLE LOSS OF AIRSPEED OCCURRED DURING THE CLIMBOUT. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED THE THIRD ROLL (INTO THE BAD ENGINE) BEFORE FINALLY GOING INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT'S ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT WAS EXCEEDED BY AT LEAST 205 POUNDS AT TAKEOFF, HOWEVER, THE CENTER OF GRAVITY REMAINED WITHIN IT'S SPECIFIED LIMITS. INTERNAL EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE EXHIBITED EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD OPERATED AT SOMETIME ON A MIXTURE OF GASOLINE AND JET FUEL.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,554 hours in all; 164 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,416 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,609 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 26, 1985; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TGSIO-520-CR (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DTN Shreveport LA at 8:38 pm
- Destination: BTR Baton Rouge LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:47 pm from DTN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N49DD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.