ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36083
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| Date: | Thursday 2 April 1998 |
| Time: | 22:32 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-235 |
| Owner/operator: | North American Flight Academy |
| Registration: | N21LL |
| MSN: | 28-11235 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3503 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-B4B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | New Orleans, LA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Denton, TX (DTO) |
| Lakefront, LA (NEW) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane impacted a lake following an uncontrolled descent after the pilot experienced spatial disorientation at night. The pilot was an instrument approach to runway 18R when he reported to air traffic control that he had a 'full failure;'. One minute later he reported a 'static failure,' and shortly afterwards he stated that the 'DG' was out of order. Air traffic control then lost radio and radar contact with the airplane. The controller who was tracking the airplane stated that it appeared as if the airplane was 'going around in circles,' just before it disappeared from the radar scope. A survivor was rescued from the lake the following morning and reported that the pilot tapped on the instrument 'with the blue horizon' and stated that 'this instrument is not working.' A post-accident examination of the vacuum pump, by the NTSB Materials Laboratory, revealed that the vacuum pump failed in-flight. Post accident examination of the electrically driven turn coordinator did not produce sufficient evidence to determine whether or not it was functioning at impact. CAUSE: The pilot's inability to maintain control of the airplane after experiencing spatial disorientation. Factors were the total failure of the vacuum pump, fog, drizzle, and night conditions.
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001211X09842
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 3 April 1998 | N21LL | North American Flight Academy | New Orleans, LA | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:22 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
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