What happened
During a nighttime departure from Lafayette Regional Airport, an aircraft entered a descent while attempting to climb. The plane lost sufficient altitude to strike trees before ultimately crashing into a nearby swamp. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe and two fatalities among the occupants. At the time of the accident, visibility was significantly reduced due to the presence of fog.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several contributing elements related to the flight's preparation and execution. The primary reason for the collision with trees during the initial climb phase was inadequate preflight preparation. Additional factors noted in the investigation include:
- The decision to begin the flight despite adverse weather conditions
- Errors in the operation of flight controls
- Improper loading of the aircraft, which affected the Center of Gravity
- A shift in cargo during the flight
- Encountering an unexpected layer of fog
- Failure to update weather information prior to departure