Cessna 182P accident near Slidell, Louisiana, November 15, 1989
On November 15, 1989, a Cessna 182P, registered N7351N, was destroyed in an accident near Slidell, Louisiana. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INITIATION OF THE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE OVER THE WATER. FACTORS WERE: DARKNESS AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT PREVAILED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 1989
- Place
- Slidell, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N7351N · no longer on the register · serial 18263135
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT RECEIVED A COMPLETE WEATHER BRIEFING ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE TAKING OFF AT NIGHT. HE ELECTED TO DEPART VFR WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN INTO AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE FLEW INTO A BAY OF THE GULF OF MEXICO ABOUT 29 MILES FROM THE POINT OF DEPARTURE. RECORDED RADAR DATA AND AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A DESCENDING RIGHT TURN WHEN IT IMPACTED IN THE BAY. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,815 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NEW New Orleans LA
- Destination: CAE Columbia SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.