Cessna 337 accident near New Orleans, Louisiana, November 20, 1986
On November 20, 1986 at about 4:05 am local time, a Cessna 337, registered N879SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Orleans, Louisiana (New Orleans airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- November 20, 1986 · about 4:05 am local time
- Place
- New Orleans, Louisiana · New Orleans · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337 · all 337s on the register
- Registration
- N879SA · registry record · serial 33701422
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND THE SUBSEQUENT MISSED APPROACH, BOTH ENGINES FAILED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT AS MUCH AS SIX GALLONS OF FUEL WAS CONTAINED IN THE AUXILLARY TANKS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT BUT THAT NONE WAS CONTAINED BETWEEN THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVES AND THE ENGINES.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LEI Raleigh Durham NC at 9:15 pm
- Destination: NEW New Orleans LA
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 18R, 6,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft; not recorded at 700 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:11 am from NEW, 2 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.