- Date
- March 12, 1989, 11:17 local (17:17 UTC)
- Place
- New Orleans, LA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8369KPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890312003719A
- Case key
- 22762
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot diverting his attention from flying the aircraft while complying with the departure control instructions, and allowing the aircraft to descend into the water.
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
Just after takeoff from runway 36 right, the pilot was instructed by ATC to turn left to 320 degs, which the pilot acknowledged. He was then told to contact departure control, which he acknowledged. He was calling departure control when the aircraft collided with the water approximately 4,000' feet beyond the departure end of the runway. The weather at the time was indefinate, sky obscured, 1/8 mile visibility in fog. No aircraft failures or malfunctions were found during the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8369K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8116199
- Airframe hours
- 552
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Russell, Floyd C.
- Registered owner
- Floyd C. Russell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 21, 1988 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- NEW · New Orleans, LA
- Destination
- 3R7 · Jennings, LA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- NEW · Lakefront, runway 36R, 3,699 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 400 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 8 knots
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- 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.