Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lakefront Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Orleans, Louisiana 70126
Tuesady, November 29, 2011 18:24 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot became unresponsive and died during cruise flight and the airplane departed controlled flight. The passenger, who had no previous pilot experience, was able to gain control and maneuvered the airplane for a night crash landing at an airport. Witnesses at the airport observed the lights of the airplane moving erratically and saw it impact the runway, strike several obstructions, and come to rest upright in a grassy area next to the runway. An emergency medical team was unable to resuscitate the pilot and he was declared deceased. The postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot had severe cardiac disease and was using medications to treat both hypertension and coronary artery disease. These were medical conditions about which he misled the Federal Aviation Administration and would have been disqualifying for a pilot medical certificate. In addition, based on the toxicology testing, the pilot was using methamphetamine at the time of the crash. Methamphetamine acutely causes increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure which increases myocardial oxygen demand. It may also directly cause coronary vasospasm. It is very likely that both the pilot's severe coronary artery disease and acute methamphetamine intoxication contributed to the pilot's sudden cardiac death during flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's fatal cardiac event, which resulted in the inflight loss of control of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's use of impairing medications and operation of the airplane with disqualifying medical conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/29/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1824 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | New Orleans |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 70126 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 300219N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0900125W |
| Event Location Airport | Lakefront Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NEW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 360 |
| Airport Elevation | 7 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KNEW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 7 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.06 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KNEW 300053Z AUTO 34015KT 10SM CLR 14/04 A3009 KNE |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32302 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ASW |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 9 2014 5:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6485L |
| NTSB Number | CEN12FA088 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER AIRCRAFT, INC. |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | Navajo |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31-449 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 4 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 20 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 17 |
| Airframe Hours | 7024 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RICHARD GRAHAM |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | CALEXICO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92231-2702 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | JAIME LOPEZ VALDEZ |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | WASCO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93280 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Ferry |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SEP |
| Departure City | Stephenville |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1537 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 9 2014 5:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18L |
| Runway Length | 3697 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |