Piper PA-22/20 accident near New Orleans, Louisiana, April 16, 2011
On April 16, 2011 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-22/20, registered N3621Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near New Orleans, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2011 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- New Orleans, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22/20 · all PA-22/20s on the register
- Registration
- N3621Z · no longer on the register · serial 22-7513
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just taken off and was about 400 feet above ground level when the engine began to run rough and then lose all power. The pilot switched the fuel selector from the left fuel tank to the right tank and pumped the engine primer but could not restore power. The pilot force-landed the airplane on a road. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a minivan that could not get out of the way of the airplane. A postaccident examination showed little fuel in the airplane's left fuel tank. The right fuel tank was full of fuel. The airplane’s engine and other systems showed no preimpact anomalies. The pilot said that his practice was to take off on the left tank and switch tanks once he was stable in the air. On the day of the accident, the pilot made several short flights and forgot to switch from the left tank on those flights; thus all the fuel from the left tank was used up before the accident flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 694 hours in all; 379 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 644 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 31, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,593 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 Series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NEW New Orleans LA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: LS40 Ama LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from NEW, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.