Cessna 172N accident near Chandeleur Isld, Louisiana, June 6, 1990
On June 6, 1990 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N1071S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chandeleur Isld, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
MINIMUM AIRSPEED REQUIRED FOR FLIGHT (VS) WAS NOT MAINTAINED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S FATIGUED CONDITION, AND PREMATURE LIFT OFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 1990 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chandeleur Isld, Louisiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N1071S · registry record · serial 17270503
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF FROM THE ROUGH, SANDY BEACH. HE LIFTED THE NOSE GEAR OFF PREMATURELY TO AVOID DAMAGING THE NOSE GEAR FAIRING. AFTER LIFT-OFF, HE OVERCONTROLLED THE AIRPLANE AND ALLOWED IT TO STALL. THE WING DRAGGED THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED INTO THE WATER, INVERTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS FATIGUED DUE TO LACK OF SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE.
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
- Flight time: 789 hours in all; 535 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 789 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,009 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 29, 1989; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,255 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: GPT Gulfport MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 82°F (28°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:47 pm from GPT, 15 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW90LA115.