North American HARVARD MK II accident near Lafayette, Louisiana, May 4, 1996
On May 4, 1996 at about 5:33 pm local time, a North American HARVARD MK II, registered N2755Z, was destroyed in an accident near Lafayette, Louisiana (Lafayette Regional airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed and/or altitude, while performing aerobatic flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 1996 · about 5:33 pm local time
- Place
- Lafayette, Louisiana · Lafayette Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American HARVARD MK II HARVARD MK
- Registration
- N2755Z · no longer on the register · serial 2755
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an air show performance, the pilot made a low pass, pulled up, and entered a roll to the right. As the airplane reached the inverted position, there was hesitation, then the nose dropped, and the airplane began descending, while continuing to roll to the right. The airplane impacted the ground upright with the left wing low. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical discrepancies. The pilot was an experienced air show performer, who had given more than 50 air show performances in the accident make and model of airplane. He had approximately 30 hours flight time in the accident airplane.
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 instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 11,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 5,490 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LFT at 5:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:33 pm from LFT
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.