What happened
During a nighttime arrival at New Orleans-Lakefront Airport, the pilot of a twin engine airplane encountered challenging weather characterized by a low cloud ceiling. After being unable to identify the runway, the flight crew executed a go-around to attempt another approach.
During the subsequent landing attempt, the aircraft descended beneath the minimum descent altitude (MDA). The plane struck the surface of Lake Pontchartrain several miles in front of the runway. The accident resulted in three fatalities, though search efforts recovered only two of the occupants.
Findings
Official investigations identified the primary cause as improper instrument flight rules (IFR) operation by the pilot. Several contributing elements were noted during the analysis:
- Low visibility and low cloud ceiling
- Pilot fatigue
- Descending below the prescribed MDA during a localizer approach
- Impact with the water during the second landing attempt