Piper PA 28-140 accident near Oakdale, Louisiana, July 8, 2015
On July 8, 2015 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1967 Piper PA 28-140, registered N3949K, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Oakdale, Louisiana (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning resulting in the airplane not having adequate performance to climb and clear the trees off the end of the dirt runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2015 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Oakdale, Louisiana · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-140 140, built 1967 · all PA 28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N3949K · no longer on the register · serial 28-23826
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he checked the windsock at his private airfield before takeoff and that it was hanging down, not moving. As he became airborne during takeoff, he experienced a 10 to 15 knot tail wind and began to lose altitude. He advanced the throttle to full power to gain altitude. The engine responded but the airplane continued to settle. The trees off the departure end of the runway were located about 1,655 ft away. Given the effects of density altitude, clearing the 40-ft trees would have required about 1,640 ft on a prepared surface; however, taking off on an unprepared surface and with the lack of lift due to the tailwind, the airplane hit trees and came to rest inverted on the ground. Had the pilot done proper preflight planning he would have realized he did not have adequate airplane performance to clear the trees.
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 lift during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 144 hours in all; 89 in this make and model; 29.7 in the last 90 days; 12.8 in the last 30 days; 144 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 29, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,842 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 14, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 1,700 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6LA4 Oakdale LA at 8:50 pm
- Destination: 00R Livingston TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from KACP, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 1, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.