What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated: I and an observer, took off from Louisiana regional airport (kreg) at approximately
9:00 To start pipeline patrols for privacy data omitted beginning at the valve station near paradis, LA.
After about 1 hr in the air, (10MILES +/- se of donaldsonville over hwy 3127) a very loud ?pop? Came
From behind the control panel. That was followed immediately by an unidentified, high pressure
Air/gas release, into the cockpit. After not seeing flames, I then opened my window to vent. I then
Immediately started looking for a safe place to land. With the highway directly below me and no
Traffic for 3 to 4 miles, I made a quick decision to land the plane. I cut power, set up and landed on
The highway centerline of the westbound lane on hwy 3127. I was looking for power lines and
Obstructions throughout the process. I could hear privacy data omitted doing all the prep steps that I didn't
Have time to do. Ie squawk code, radio call, ELT activation. After touchdown, I noted a sign on the
Right side of the highway and shifted slightly to the left. I failed to see the sign that was faced away
From me on the left median. Already on the ground and slowing down as quick as possible, the left
Wing struck the two signs and the plane turned hard to the left with the nose dipping enough to
Allow the prop to strike the asphault. The plane then came to a rest on the median. I shut off all
Power to the avioncs and the ignition, I then pulled the fuel shut off valve and exited the plane. The
Pilot side door was partially jammed so privacy data omitted aided to open and we both got away from the plane.
No flames were observed and plane was not obstructing any of the traffic lanes. So, we began
Making phone calls. We estimate the time from the pop to the median was approximately 90
Seconds.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED: I AND AN OBSERVER, TOOK OFF FROM LOUISIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT (KREG) AT APPROXIMATELY
9:00 TO START PIPELINE PATROLS FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEGINNING AT THE VALVE STATION NEAR PARADIS, LA.
AFTER ABOUT 1 HR IN THE AIR, (10MILES +/- SE OF DONALDSONVILLE OVER HWY 3127) A VERY LOUD ?POP? CAME
FROM BEHIND THE CONTROL PANEL. THAT WAS FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY AN UNIDENTIFIED, HIGH PRESSURE
AIR/GAS RELEASE, INTO THE COCKPIT. AFTER NOT SEEING FLAMES, I THEN OPENED MY WINDOW TO VENT. I THEN
IMMEDIATELY STARTED LOOKING FOR A SAFE PLACE TO LAND. WITH THE HIGHWAY DIRECTLY BELOW ME AND NO
TRAFFIC FOR 3 TO 4 MILES, I MADE A QUICK DECISION TO LAND THE PLANE. I CUT POWER, SET UP AND LANDED ON
THE HIGHWAY CENTERLINE OF THE WESTBOUND LANE ON HWY 3127. I WAS LOOKING FOR POWER LINES AND
OBSTRUCTIONS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. I COULD HEAR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DOING ALL THE PREP STEPS THAT I DIDN'T
HAVE TIME TO DO. IE SQUAWK CODE, RADIO CALL, ELT ACTIVATION. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, I NOTED A SIGN ON THE
RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND SHIFTED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. I FAILED TO SEE THE SIGN THAT WAS FACED AWAY
FROM ME ON THE LEFT MEDIAN. ALREADY ON THE GROUND AND SLOWING DOWN AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE, THE LEFT
WING STRUCK THE TWO SIGNS AND THE PLANE TURNED HARD TO THE LEFT WITH THE NOSE DIPPING ENOUGH TO
ALLOW THE PROP TO STRIKE THE ASPHAULT. THE PLANE THEN CAME TO A REST ON THE MEDIAN. I SHUT OFF ALL
POWER TO THE AVIONCS AND THE IGNITION, I THEN PULLED THE FUEL SHUT OFF VALVE AND EXITED THE PLANE. THE
PILOT SIDE DOOR WAS PARTIALLY JAMMED SO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIDED TO OPEN AND WE BOTH GOT AWAY FROM THE PLANE.
NO FLAMES WERE OBSERVED AND PLANE WAS NOT OBSTRUCTING ANY OF THE TRAFFIC LANES. SO, WE BEGAN
MAKING PHONE CALLS. WE ESTIMATE THE TIME FROM THE POP TO THE MEDIAN WAS APPROXIMATELY 90
SECONDS.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.