- Date
- May 30, 1983, 10:04 local (15:04 UTC)
- Place
- New Orleans, LA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N52ACPiper PA-60
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830530075799A
- Case key
- 20728
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Witnesses reported that when the acft was stabilized on final apch, it pitched up slightly & yawed, then rolled left to an inverted attitude & crashed in a canal. Several witnesses stated that the left prop was windmilling. One stated the left prop had stopped. Two others said smoke was trailing from the acft. One witness stated that after the acft passed over his car, a fine mist of oil fell on his windshield. When the acft was recovered from the canal, the left prop was found in the feathered position while the right prop was near its low pitch stops. The left prop dome was found depleted of air pressure & no oil was found in the left eng case. Also, an oil film was found on the bottom of the left eng, left flap & left stabilizer. A further exam revealed that an oil interconnect line, Piper pn: 920024-811, had failed inside its fire proof covering. The hose was 8 yrs old, its recomended replacement interval was 5 yrs. It hadbeen installed with a small bend radius. Also, the left eng had evidence of heat & wear due to lack of oil.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52AC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-60
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61-0019
- Airframe hours
- 2,809
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-P1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Haller Airconditioning Maint.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 1982 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- M507 · Diamond Head, MS
- Airport
- NEW · Lakefront, runway 36L, 5,800 × 150 ft, macadam
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- NEW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.