Piper PA-28-235 N21LL

Summary

On 3 April 1998 at about 04:32 local time, a Piper PA-28-235 registered N21LL, operated by North American Flight Academy, was involved in an accident near New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 April 1998 at 04:32

Classification

Accident

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Lakefront Airport (NEW)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-235

Registration

N21LL

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

North American Flight Academy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denton → Lakefront

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW98FA170

3 people died.

The pilot's inability to maintain control of the airplane after experiencing spatial disorientation. Factors were the total failure of the vacuum pump, fog, drizzle, and night conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted a lake following an uncontrolled descent after the pilot experienced spatial disorientation at night. The pilot was an instrument approach to runway 18R when he reported to air traffic control that he had a 'full failure;'. One minute later he reported a 'static failure,' and shortly afterwards he stated that the 'DG' was out of order. Air traffic control then lost radio and radar contact with the airplane. The controller who was tracking the airplane stated that it appeared as if the airplane was 'going around in circles,' just before it disappeared from the radar scope. A survivor was rescued from the lake the following morning and reported that the pilot tapped on the instrument 'with the blue horizon' and stated that 'this instrument is not working.' A post-accident examination of the vacuum pump, by the NTSB Materials Laboratory, revealed that the vacuum pump failed in-flight. Post accident examination of the electrically driven turn coordinator did not produce sufficient evidence to determine whether or not it was functioning at impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.