Piper PA-23-250 N14196

Summary

On 31 August 1996 at about 04:23 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered N14196 was involved in an accident near Jennings, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 August 1996 at 04:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Jennings, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.2203, -92.6499

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

N14196

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW96GA365

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance. Factors were the pilot's lack of recent experience in the make and model of airplane, the dark night, and fog.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a night aerial application flight, the multiengine airplane impacted trees bordering a bayou/swamp area. The airplane was flown by a single pilot accompanied by a crew member to operate the spraying equipment. Company personnel stated that the crew member never flew the airplane. Two other pilots observed patchy fog forming along the ground and around the wooded bayou areas and returned to the airport. Local authorities stated that 'fog often forms up like a cloud out of the woods and spreads at tree height' during the night hours. The pilot's total flight time in the PA-23 airplane was 75 hrs (9.0 hrs in the previous 3 years). Marginal VFR weather with mist & thunderstorms was forecast. Airmet Sierra was valid for ceilings below 1,000 feet AGL with visibility below 3 miles with precipitation and mist. Area stations reported a temperature/dewpoint spread of one degree or less and the radiosonde data indicated a temperature/dewpoint spread of 4 degrees or less from the surface to 5,407 feet MSL. Terminal forecast winds were 5 knots or less. The average relative humidity was 90% with precipitable water at 139%.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.