Piper PA-31-350 N41045

Summary

On 31 October 1982 at about 11:05 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N41045, operated by Moore Data Systems, Inc., was involved in an accident near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

31 October 1982 at 11:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Ryan Airport (BTR)

Coordinates

30.4498, -91.1892

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-350

Registration

N41045

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Moore Data Systems, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baton Rouge → Charleston

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW83FA027

3 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND BURNED SHORTLY AFTER TAKING OFF IN DARKNESS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS INDEFINITE CEILING, ZERO OBSCURATION, VISIBILITY 1/4 MI WITH FOG, WIND 120 DEG AT 5 KTS. A NUMBER OF WITNESSES HEARD THE AIRCRAFT, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER TAKEOFF. THE CONSENSUS OF THEIR STATEMENTS INDICATED THAT ONE ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE THE OTHER CONTINUED RUNNING AT A HIGH POWER SETTING. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT AN INTENSE POSTCRASH FIRE HAD CONSUMED MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE PLANE HAD CRASHED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN, RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE AND DID NOT MOVE AFTER IMPACT. THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS FOUND IN A FEATHERED POSITION. THE LEFT PROPELLER BLADES WERE CURLED AND TWISTED. BOTH ENGINES WERE DISASSEMBLE, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE GEAR AND FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AND THE COWL FLAPS WERE CLOSED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.