Cessna 172RG accident near Intracoastal, Louisiana, May 8, 1997
On May 8, 1997 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N6505V, was destroyed in an accident near Intracoastal, Louisiana. 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
the pilot's decision to fly, when he was not in good physical condition; and his subsequent loss of aircraft control due to incapacitation. A related factor was: the pilot's perception of an urgency (pressure) to fly, induced by conditions/events.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 1997 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Intracoastal, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N6505V · registry record · serial 172RG0738
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Outbound on a fish spotting flight (flt), the pilot (plt) made a distress call to other company plts that he did not feel well & was returning to the airport. He said he was getting sick & 'a little nauseated.' Radio contact was lost, & the airplane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico. Investigation revealed that before flt, the plt had breakfast, flew 4 hrs, attended a safety meeting & went to a health club. Company plts said he was upset from reprimands at the safety meeting, was stressed for monetary reasons, was worried about his job, & was concerned about his blood pressure, but would fly while fatigued or when not feeling well. Reportedly, he had not slept well the previous night. Following a partial workout & steam room session, he was seen holding his head in his hands outside the steam room; he said he stayed in the steam room too long & felt 'quizzy like was going to throw up, like over doing it.' He did not eat lunch, but rested before flt. The plt was noted to have high blood pressure, when he applied for a 2nd class medical certificate on 3/3/97. The certificate was issued after he was evaluated by a cardiologist & was prescribed Tenormin (atenolol) & Lipitor (atorvastatin). Tenormin is a medication that reduces resting & exercise heart rate & is acceptable to the FAA for control of blood pressure. Lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering agent. Toxicology testing revealed trace amounts of diphenhydramine (trade name Benadryl), an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine, in the plt's liver & kidney fluids.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,560 hours in all; 763 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 12, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,555 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OR3 at 9:10 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from LFT, 22 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.