Piper Seneca accident near Plaquemine, Louisiana, May 31, 2008
On May 31, 2008 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper Seneca, registered N864CA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Plaquemine, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The certified flight instructor's poor decision to simulate a loss of engine on takeoff with a wet runway and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Contributing to the accident was the dew covered runway surface and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2008 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Plaquemine, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper Seneca
- Registration
- N864CA · registry record · serial pa-34-200T
- 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 on an instructional flight with a certified flight instructor from a 2600 x 80 foot grass airstrip, which was wet with dew. At approximately 40 knots on initial takeoff roll the flight instructor pulled the left throttle to idle to simulate the loss of an engine on takeoff. The pilot aborted the takeoff, pulling the right throttle back and applying wheel brakes. The airplane slid off the side of the runway into a field and hit a ditch. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing had pulled forward, separating the trailing edge from the fuselage approximately 1 1/2 inch and buckling the fuselage at the leading edge.
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 control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Simulated/training event during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Wet › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,497 hours in all; 1,752 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 6,345 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2008
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-EB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LA15 Plaquemine LA
- Destination: LA15 Plaquemine LA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.