Cessna 337 accident near Raymond, Mississippi, February 28, 1998
On February 28, 1998 at about 3:55 am local time, a Cessna 337, registered N1287M, was destroyed in an accident near Raymond, Mississippi (John Bell Williams airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot passenger's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol, and control interference by the pilot passenger, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and subsequent in-flight collision with the runway and trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 1998 · about 3:55 am local time
- Place
- Raymond, Mississippi · John Bell Williams · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337 · all 337s on the register
- Registration
- N1287M · no longer on the register · serial 33701287
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot-in-command (PIC), who was sitting in the left front seat, stated that after the airplane landed, he planned on terminating the flight. According to the PIC, during landing rollout, the 2nd pilot (pilot rated passenger in the right front seat) said '...lets go again...' and applied full power. The PIC said the airplane veered left, porpoised out of ground effect, and settled back to the ground nose first, striking the propeller. The airplane then became airborne again and collided with trees at the departure end of the runway. The PIC stated that, 'he was unsure who was flying the airplane.' Two beer cans and a plastic drinking mug were found at the accident site. A toxicology test of the 2nd pilot's blood (at 0250 local time) showed an alcohol level of (8.0 mg/dl).
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 125 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 4,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: M16
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,992 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 am from JAN, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.