Cessna 172 accident near New Orleans, LA
On August 28, 2016, a Cessna 172 (airplane) was involved in an accident near New Orleans, LA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 28, 2016
- Place
- New Orleans, LA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 30.062°N, 90.028°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160829X35843
Official records · CEN16LA338
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 27, 2016, about 2015 central daylight time, a Cessna 172R airplane, N984RA, impacted the waters Lake Pontchartrain during a visual approach to the Lakefront Airport (NEW), New Orleans, Louisiana. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured; a second passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Christiansen Aviation, Inc., and operated by Flight Academy of New Orleans, doing business as New Orleans Aerial Air Tours, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local sightseeing tour flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was not on a flight plan, which departed NEW at 1930. According to the operator, one of the passengers purchased tickets for a 45-minute tour flight for two people, which was scheduled for a 1930 departure. The surviving passenger reported that she and the other passenger were in the rear seats, with pilot in the left front seat, and that everything on the flight appeared normal. At the end of the flight as they neared the airport, it started to rain. She could not see much out of the windshield; however, the pilot pointed out four red lights ahead of the airplane and stated that that was the airport. She added that the pilot was "straining" to look above the dash and outside the windshield. Looking out the side window, she could see water below and stated that the airplane was "4 to 6 feet" above the water. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted water about 1/2 mile from runway 09. The passenger sta
Probable cause
The pilot's improper decision to continue a descent during a night visual approach a for landing which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the reduced visibility and pilot's disregard of the PAPI indications that the airplane's approach path was excessively low.
More accidents in LA
- Sikorsky S-76C, Jan 4, 2009
- Cessna 411A, May 8, 1986
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- Beech E90, Jun 24, 2005
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Browse: Louisiana · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
