Cessna U206G accident near Venice, Louisiana, April 14, 1996
On April 14, 1996 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna U206G, registered N734QW, was destroyed in an accident near Venice, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed, 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions. A factor was the fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 1996 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Venice, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206G · all U206Gs on the register
- Registration
- N734QW · no longer on the register · serial U20604862
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a statement given by one passenger to the local sheriff's investigator, the airplane was approximately '300 feet off the ground when whey encountered fog. The pilot made a right turn and began to descend. The airplane impacted the water, and the windshield popped out. The airplane bounced once and came to rest inverted.' The passenger also stated that when they had departed the airport, the weather had been 'crystal clear' and 'no one noticed the fog until they were already in it.' The airplane was not recovered.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 875 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,185 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Burrwood LA
- Destination: LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.