Cessna 150F accident near Jones, Louisiana, September 2, 1996
On September 2, 1996 at about 2:05 am local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N8380G, was destroyed in an accident near Jones, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (VMC), and failure of the pilot (PIC) to maintain control of the airplane after becoming spatially disorientation. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, the adverse weather condition (fog and obscuration), and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1996 · about 2:05 am local time
- Place
- Jones, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8380G · no longer on the register · serial 15062480
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before flight, the non-instrument rated pilot received a weather briefing and was advised that 'VFR was not recommended' due to IFR conditions along the route. The airplane was observed to takeoff on runway 34, then it disappeared into the fog. At about 2105, residents in the vicinity of the accident site (about 18 miles from the departure point) heard 'the steady engine sound of a low flying airplane followed by the sound of impact.' A search was initiated, and the airplane was found where it had impacted the ground in an estimated 25 degree descent. Ground visibility at the site was reported to be 'less than 50 feet in heavy wet fog.' Examination of the aircraft and engine at the accident site did not disclose any mechanical problems or evidence of preimpact malfunction.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 680 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,880 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 1996; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2F8 Bastrop LA at 1:55 am
- Destination: GLH Greenville MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 3 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
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.