Cessna 182R accident near Monroe, Louisiana, January 11, 2005
On January 11, 2005 at about 2:10 am local time, a Cessna 182R, registered N9474E, was destroyed in an accident near Monroe, Louisiana (Monroe Regional Airport). It was a personal 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 failure of the pilot manipulating the controls to maintain aircraft control during a night missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions. Factors include a dark night and low ceilings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 2005 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Monroe, Louisiana · Monroe Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9474E · no longer on the register · serial 18268418
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The two Civil Air Patrol pilots took off on a dark night in order to shoot a number of practice instrument approaches in VFR conditions. The pilot who was believed to be sitting in the left seat and shooting the approaches was not instrument current at the time. After shooting the first approach, and just after being cleared for the second, the crew was advised that the ceiling had become 900 feet broken and that the field was then IFR. When queried by the controller, the crew said they wanted to continue their series of approaches via an IFR clearance. During the second approach they had trouble intercepting the localizer, and although they had by that time decided to make the next landing a full-stop, because they could not get established on the localizer, they eventually had to execute a missed approach. During the next approach they again had trouble getting established on the localizer, and when advised that they had a C130 following them on an approach for landing, the crew requested another missed approach. During that missed approach, while making a climbing turn in order to be repositioned for another approach, the flying pilot lost control of the aircraft, which descended into the waters of a shallow water collection pond/swamp.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,225 hours in all; 37 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Flight time: 1,350 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 1, 2004
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,843 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2004; 76.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMLU Monroe LA at 1:05 am
- Destination: KMLU
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 7,500 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from KMLU, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.