Cessna 182A accident near Ama, Louisiana, September 25, 2015
On September 25, 2015 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1957 Cessna 182A, registered N6361B, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Ama, Louisiana (Na airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to takeoff on a partially obstructed runway, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 2015 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ama, Louisiana · Na · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A A, built 1957 · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N6361B · no longer on the register · serial 34261
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, while taxiing onto the runway of his private airstrip, he noticed that there were dogs on the runway. The pilot decided to position his airplane on the left side of the runway in order to accommodate the canines during his takeoff roll. The pilot reported that shortly after rotation, the airplane's left wing tip struck a tree. The pilot stated that the forces from impact, spun the airplane 90 degrees to the left, into the tree line where the airplane came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies existed that would have prevented normal flight operations.
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
What happened, in order
- Wildlife encounter (non-bird) during takeoff
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,020 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 990 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 20, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,597.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 4,598 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Ama LA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: PVT Ama LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from MSY, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 24, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.