Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lakefront Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Orleans, Louisiana 70126
Friday, August 22, 2014 15:54 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On August 22, 2014, at 1554 central daylight time, a Piper PA 28-161, N8440N, ditched into Lake Pontchartrain near Lakefront Airport (KNEW), New Orleans, Louisiana. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the flight operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The airplane departed the Jack Brooks Regional Airport (KBPT), Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas, at 1353 and was enroute to KNEW.
The pilot stated that he departed KBPT with about 17 gallons of fuel in the left tank and 24 gallons in the right tank. He departed with the right fuel tank selected and switched fuel tanks every 30 minutes. The flight was uneventful until he was descending from 1,500 feet above ground level when the engine experienced a total loss of power. He attempted to restart the engine multiple times without success. The air traffic controller at KNEW cleared him to land on runway 09, but he couldn't glide to the runway. He ditched the airplane into Lake Pontchartrain a ΒΌ mile west of the runway 09 threshold. The pilot egressed from the airplane and swam to shore.
The responding Federal aviation Administration (FAA) inspector stated that the airplane was removed from the lake and placed inverted on a barge. He observed fuel leaking from the right wing.
The airplane was retained for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/22/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1554 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | New Orleans |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 70126 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 300214N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0900208W |
| Event Location Airport | LAKEFRONT |
| 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 | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 231 |
| Airport Elevation | 7 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2053 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 26 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KNEW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | UTC |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| 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) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.96 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KNEW 232053Z AUTO 30006KT 10SM CLR 33/23 A29 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 26 2014 2:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | linj-i |
| Basic weather conditions | -- |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8440N |
| NTSB Number | CEN14LA449 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | -- |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA 28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 161 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-8216003 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | -- |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 4 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Robert E Braswell |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SHREVEPORT |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 711055744 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Robert E Braswell |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SHREVEPORT |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 711055744 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BPT |
| Departure City | BEAUMONT/PORT ARTHUR |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1353 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | NEW |
| Destination City | New Orleans |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 25 2014 1:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | linj-i |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 09 |
| Runway Length | 3114 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |