Piper PA-38-112 accident near Reserve, Louisiana, September 4, 2020
On September 4, 2020 at about 1:50 am local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N567N, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Reserve, 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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2020 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Reserve, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N567N · no longer on the register · serial 3879A0407
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that about 5 miles from the airport the airplane engine began to have trouble, so he turned on the electric fuel pump. He switched fuel tanks, but the engine still lost power. The pilot was unable to make it to the airport, so he conducted a forced landing to a marsh/swamp. Due to the accident location, an on-scene examination of the airplane was not conducted, and the airplane was not recovered. The pilot did not return a completed National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1 as requested.
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 (total) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 12,499 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-235 SERIES; 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: New Orleans LA
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN20CA386.