Piper PA-32-260 accident near Laplace, Louisiana, February 12, 1988
On February 12, 1988 at about 1:42 am local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N4882S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Laplace, Louisiana (New Orleans Intl. airport). 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 12, 1988 · about 1:42 am local time
- Place
- Laplace, Louisiana · New Orleans Intl. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N4882S · no longer on the register · serial 32-7100006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT WAS IN LEVEL CRZ FLT AT NIGHT WHEN HE OBSERVED SPARKS AND FLAME COMING FROM THE ENG COWLING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND THEN SEIZED. AFTER DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND BEING CLEARED STRAIGHT IN TO A RUNWAY ABOUT 28 MILES AWAY, THE PLT DECIDED THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE THE RWY AND EXECUTED AN EMERG LNDG ON AN UNLIGHTED STRETCH OF INTERSTATE HWY. DRNG THE LNDG ROLL, THE RT WING STRUCK A GUARD RAIL AND THE ACFT VEERED RT, COLLAPSING THE MLG. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NO. 3 CYL HAD SEPARATED INTO 2 PIECES AS A RESULT OF A FATIGUE CRACK THAT HAD INITIATED AT THE INNER DIAMETER OF THE CYL. THE CAUSE OF THE FATIGUE INITIATION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE CYL FATIGUE CRACK HAD BEEN THERE FOR SOME TIME, MORE THAN THE 26 HRS THAT HAD ELAPSED SINCE THE LAST 100 HR INSP.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 43 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,576 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 24, 1987; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ADS Addison TX at 11:00 pm
- Destination: MSY New Orleans LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 340° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from MSY, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.