Sukhoi SU-29 accident near New Orleans, Louisiana, March 21, 1996
On March 21, 1996 at about 11:41 pm local time, a Sukhoi SU-29, registered N729SU, was destroyed in an accident near New Orleans, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight loss of a bolt in the elevator control system due to improper installation by unknown person(s), which resulted in a disconnection of the elevator control system that rendered the airplane uncontrollable.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 1996 · about 11:41 pm local time
- Place
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sukhoi SU-29 · all SU-29s on the register
- Registration
- N729SU · no longer on the register · serial 78-04
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Radar data indicated the airplane was maneuvering in a manner consistent with the performance of aerobatics prior to entering an uncontrolled descent during which it reached a speed of over 220 knots. Evidence indicated that, prior to impact, the pilot jettisoned the canopy, released his restraining harness, and deployed his emergency parachute. All of the suspension lines attaching the parachute canopy to the harness separated. The manufacturer recommended that the parachute not be deployed at speeds greater than 140 knots; however, this limit was not marked, nor was it required to be marked, on the parachute. Examination of the airplane's elevator control system revealed evidence that a bolt attaching a control tube to a bellcrank migrated out during the flight. The bolt should have been secured with a castellated nut and a cotter pin. The control tube end, bolt, castellated nut, and cotter pin were not recovered from the accident site. It could not be determined whether the bolt was improperly installed when the airplane was manufactured or had subsequently been removed and reinstalled incorrectly.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,222 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,617 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vendeneyev M-14P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NEW at 11:27 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from NEW, 10 miles away
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.