Piper PA-31 Cheyenne crash, Dec 28, 2019 (5 killed), Lafa...
Piper PA-31 Cheyenne accident on December 28, 2019 near Lafayette-Paul Fournet, Louisiana, United States with 5 fatalities. Cause: Pilot's loss of...
- Date: December 28, 2019
- Aircraft: Piper PA-31 Cheyenne
- Location: Lafayette-Paul Fournet, Louisiana, United States
- Fatalities: 5
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: Pilot's loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation during the initial climb in instrument meteorological conditions
A Piper Cheyenne II took off from Lafayette in fog and low cloud and entered the clouds at about 200 ft above ground level. It climbed to about 925 ft, then entered a steep left bank descending turn and struck trees and a power line before crashing near a post office and catching fire. Five people died and one passenger was seriously injured, and the NTSB attributed the accident to the pilot's loss of control through spatial disorientation.