Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lakefront Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Orleans, Louisiana 70100
Thursday, April 2, 1998 22:32 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
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.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/2/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2232 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | NEW ORLEANS |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 70100 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LAKEFRONT AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NEW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 9 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 951 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NEW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 970 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1097 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 3 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N21LL |
| NTSB Number | FTW98FA170 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-235 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-235 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-11235 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 4 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 31 |
| Airframe Hours | 3503 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ALTAIR AVIATION INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5007 AIRPORT ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | DENTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76207 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NORTH AMERICAN FLIGHT ACADEMY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5007 AIRPORT ROAD |
| Operator City | DENTON |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 76207 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DTO |
| Departure City | DENTON |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1855 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NEW |
| Destination City | LAKEFRONT |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18R |
| Runway Length | 6879 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |