Cessna P206C accident near Grand Chenier, Louisiana, June 16, 1986
On June 16, 1986 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna P206C, registered N8621Z, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Chenier, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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 16, 1986 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Chenier, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna P206C · all P206Cs on the register
- Registration
- N8621Z · no longer on the register · serial P206-0421
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE MARSHY TERRAIN WHILE IN A VERY SHALLOW DESCENT AND WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE AND AT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED (I.E.,CRUISE). IT THEN CARTWHEELED AND SLID TO A STOP. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF SUBSTANTIAL ENGINE POWER BEING DEVELOPED AT IMPACT. EXTENDED RANGE FUEL TANKS HAD BEEN ADDED TO THE WING TIPS ALONG WITH AN IN-CABIN TANK FOR AN EXTRA FUEL CAPACITY OF 75-80 GALLONS. ALL TANKS APPARENTLY HAD BEEN FILLED. THE POINTS OF DEPARTURE AND INTENDED LANDING ALONG WITH THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, ARE UNKNOWN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH CONTRABAND CARGO. THE AUTOPILOT 'ALTITUDE HOLD' WAS ENGAGED. NO RADAR TRACK OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND, PROBABLY DUE TO LOW ALTITUDE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT MOST PROBABLY DESCENDED DUE TO A BAROMETRIC PRESSURE CHANGE WHILE THE PILOT WAS ASLEEP OR INATTENTIVE AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.