Cessna 152 accident near Plaquemine, Louisiana, February 28, 1997
On February 28, 1997, a Cessna 152, registered N49205, was destroyed in an accident near Plaquemine, Louisiana. It was an instructional 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
The pilot's failure to maintain proper altitude and clearance from transmission wires. Factors were, the dark night, low cloud ceiling, and fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 1997
- Place
- Plaquemine, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N49205 · no longer on the register · serial 15281192
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Approach Control was communicating with the pilot approximately 5 minutes prior to the accident and was providing VFR flight following through the Baton Rouge area. They reported that the pilot did not report any abnormalities with the aircraft. According to FAA records, the pilot got weather briefings from Automated Flight Service Stations before and during the flight. According to seven witness observations of people who were working on a levee adjacent to the accident site, the aircraft was in level flight, cruising over the Mississippi river at a low altitude beneath low clouds. One witness recalled seeing the aircraft approach high tension power lines which were traversing the river and perpendicular to the flight path. The aircraft impacted the lines, became hung up momentarily, and then fell into the river. Five of the witnesses heard the sound of an engine prior to the wire impact. The 2 power line support structures were 425 feet in height. Examination of the wreckage revealed wire strike marks beneath the right wing near the wing support strut attachment point. Throttle and mixture levers were both full forward and the tachometer needle was found at 2,500 RPM.
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; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,165 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,718 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 1997; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LFT Lafayette LA at 11:20 pm
- Destination: 0LA4 Reserve LA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft; ovct at 500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from BTR, 10 miles away
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.