Cessna 172 N984RA

Summary

On 28 August 2016 at about 01:15 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N984RA, operated by Flight Academy of New Orleans, was involved in an accident near New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 August 2016 at 01:15

Classification

Accident

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Lakefront (KNEW)

Coordinates

30.0617, -90.0275

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N984RA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

1

Operator

Flight Academy of New Orleans

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Orleans → New Orleans

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA338

2 people died.

The pilot's improper decision to continue a descent during a night visual approach a for landing which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the reduced visibility and pilot's disregard of the PAPI indications that the airplane's approach path was excessively low.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after sunset, the pilot with two passengers departed on a local sightseeing flight of the city. The flight flew around the city, then proceeded back to the airport after civil twilight. The final portion of the flight and the landing approach were conducted over a lake. A review of radar's last return revealed the airplane about 0.6 miles from the airport at an altitude of 100 ft agl. The surviving passenger reported everything appeared normal during the flight, and as they neared the airport, it started to rain, and visibility was poor. The pilot pointed out 4 four red lights ahead of the airplane and stated to the passengers that was the airport. The passenger added that she could see out the side window and the airplane was about 4-6 ft above the surface of the lake. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted the lake. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A review of weather information noted the presence of thunderstorm activity and isolated rain showers in the area at the time of the accident. The pilot's toxicology report was positive for ethanol and clomipramine. Due to a delay in the recovery, it is likely that most, if not all, of the ethanol was from postmortem production. Clomipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant used to treat symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clomipramine is not considered impairing. Additionally, the pilot's actions and communication with the passengers also indicate that the pilot did not experience a seizure or incapacitation, so a reaction to his medication was not likely. With reduced visibility due to rain and night conditions, it is unlikely the pilot could see the water. The four red lights, consistent with the runway's precision approach path indicator (PAPI) that the pilot pointed out to the passengers, reflected the airplane's low approach path. The accident is consistent with the pilot continuing the descent, while already below a normal approach path to the airport, which resulted in the controlled flight into terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.