Piper PA 24-250 accident near New Orleans, Louisiana, September 19, 2015
On September 19, 2015 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1962 Piper PA 24-250, registered N7803P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near New Orleans, Louisiana (Lakefront Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collapse of the landing gear for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2015 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- New Orleans, Louisiana · Lakefront Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 24-250 250, built 1962 · all PA 24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7803P · registry record · serial 24-3064
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was landing the airplane after conducting a cross-country flight. The pilot reported that, after the main landing gear touched down, he heard a "throbbing" sound and thought that the right main landing gear tire had gone flat. The pilot applied left aileron in an attempt to lift the load off the right main tire. The airplane subsequently drifted left, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane then came to rest upright adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported no anomalies with the landing gear system before landing. The airplane was examined about 1 month after the accident occurred. During the examination, the airplane was resting on a flatbed trailer, and the landing gear system and tires were not accessible; therefore, the reason for the landing gear collapse could not be determined.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 2,200 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2,300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 30, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,188.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXW Conway AR at 5:30 pm
- Destination: NEW New Orleans LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36L, 6,879 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
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.