What happened
During the final approach phase of flight into New Orleans-Moisant Airport, the aircraft experienced a simultaneous failure of both engines. This loss of propulsion led to an aerodynamic stall, causing the plane to crash a short distance from the airfield. The impact resulted in the death of the pilot and left the sole passenger with serious injuries. The airframe was completely destroyed during the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical factors that led to the loss of power and subsequent crash. The primary cause was determined to be a double engine failure resulting from insufficient preflight preparations.
Specific contributing elements included:
- Ineffective management of fuel supplies
- Fuel exhaustion during the flight
- Errors in in-flight planning and decision-making processes
- Failure by the pilot to sustain the necessary airspeed to prevent a stall