Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Athens, Louisiana 71003
Saturday, April 13, 1985 19:40 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS ON AN INSTRUMENT FLT PLAN. THE PLT HAD RECEIVED A PRE TAKEOFF WEATHER BRIEFING. HE WAS BRIEFED ON THE AREA OF WEATHER THAT WAS AT THE ACFT'S TWELVE O'CLOCK POSITION FOUR MILES IN FRONT. THE AREA WAS THIRTY MILES SOUTHWEST AND TWENTY MILES WIDE. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD A SLIGHTLY HOT ENGINE RIDES OR ONE WAS A LITTLE ROUGH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO SHREVEPORT, GIVEN VECTORS ANS DESCENDED. ALL RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT ABOUT 4000 FEET. NO MALFUNCTIONS WERE NOTED ON EITHER ENGINE. NO KNOWN MALFUNCTION FOUND WITH ACFT. TAIL LIGHT BULB FILAMENT SHOWED NO DIRECT CURRENT BEING APPLIED AT IMPACT. POSSIBILITY OF INFLIGHT LOSS OF DC POWER CAUSING PILOT TO LOSE CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT DURING DARK NIGHT AND TURBULENT INSTRUMENT FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT ALLOWED TO IMPACT SURFACE IN NEAR PAST VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. POSSIBLE INADVERTENT ACTIVATION OF CRASH BAR LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL. POSSIBLE PASSENGER MOTION SICKNESS

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/13/1985
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1940
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City ATHENS
Event State LOUISIANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 71003
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1853 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 225
Weather Observation Facility ID SHV
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 44
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2706
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 13 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2030
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 30420
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3RU
NTSB Number FTW85FA181
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 320B
Aircraft Series Identifier 320B
Aircraft Serial Number 320B0023
Certified Max Gross Weight 5200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 26 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EIDOARIE, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 100 W. SHARP
Aircraft Owner City EL DORADO
Aircraft Owner State AR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 71730
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code F43
Departure City EL DORADO
Departure State AR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1915
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code IAH
Destination City HOUSTON
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --