# NTSB CEN20LA021: Piper PA23, N778PA, (Gulf of Mexico), October 17, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: October 16, 2019, 23:33 local (Oct 17, 2019, 04:33 UTC) - Place: (Gulf of Mexico) - Coordinates: 25.382499, -90.125831 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.3825&lon=-90.1258&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - Baton Rouge FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 100461 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20LA021 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100461/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100461 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA021 ## Probable cause The airplane’s descent into the ocean for reasons that could not be determined. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-23-250, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=7102308), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-23-250, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=7102308), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md) ## Analysis Flight track data showed the airplane take off, after which the airplane proceeded on a south heading toward its intended destination. The first portion of the flight was conducted at an altitude of about 15,000 ft msl. When the airplane was about 120 nm from the intended destination, it made a slight course correction to the right and descended to about 6,500 ft msl. About 2.75 hours into the flight, the airplane passed over its intended destination but made no course correction or altitude changes. The airplane continued out over the Gulf of Mexico for another 2.25 hours where the flight track ended. A search for the airplane was not successful. The investigation could not determine the reason the airplane overflew the destination. The airplane was presumed to have impacted water in the Gulf of Mexico and the pilot was presumed fatally injured. ## Factual narrative The airplane maintenance records were not available for review. On October 16, 2019, about 2333 central daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N778PA, was presumed destroyed when it was involved in an accident in the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot is presumed to have been fatally injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The airplane departed from the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport (CGI), Cape Girardeau, Missouri, about 1836 and was reportedly en route to the Louisiana Regional Airport (REG), Gonzales, Louisiana. The airplane was not in communication with any air traffic control facility. The airplane was equipped with automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) equipment and the airplane's flight track was obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration. The data showed the airplane take off from CGI, after which it assumed a heading of about 190°. The first portion of the flight was conducted at an altitude of about 15,000 ft msl and the airplane remained on a heading of about 190°. About 2038, when the airplane was about 120 nm from REG it made a slight course correction to the right of about 5° and descended to about 6,500 ft msl. About 2118, the airplane passed over REG but made no course correction or altitude change. The airplane continued on the same heading and altitude until the final recorded data point at 2332 showed the airplane over the Gulf of Mexico, about 360 nm and 187° from REG. According to the data, the airplane had been airborne about 5 hours. A search for the airplane was conducted, but the airplane was not located. The pilot logbooks were not available for review. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N778PA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N778PA-2020-12-28), registration cancelled 2020-12-28, S/N 27-7854053, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA23 (250) - Registry model: [Piper PA-23-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (registry code 7102308) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 27-7854053 - Year built: 1977 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540 250 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming IO-540 250 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: Unknown - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: CGI, Cape Girardeau, MO - Destination: REG, Gonzales, LA - Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 360° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Observed at: REG ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 8, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100461. 1.5 MB in all. - Destination weather information (item 1, PDF, 2 pages, 57 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9420961&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Destination%20Weather%20Reports-Rel.pdf - ADS-B data from FAA (item 2, ZIP, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9421003&FileExtension=zip&FileName=20191016_N778PA_AA8805-Rel.zip - Plot of the airplane's flight path (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 221 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9421224&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Plot%20of%20flight%20path-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.