Patterson Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Patterson, Louisiana 70392
Sunday, April 14, 1985 20:55 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON VISUAL FINAL APCH TO THE ARPT AT NIGHT THE ACFT ENTERED GROUND FOG. REFLECTION OF THE LANDING LIGHTS IN THE FOG WAS DISTRACTING. THE ACFT LANDED IN THE ADJACENT SEAPLANE LANDING AREA INSTEAD OF ON THE HARD SURFACE RWY. A SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE APRT DISCLOSED DIFFERENCIATION BTW THE COLORED LIGHTS OF THE WATERWAY AND THE WHITE LIGHTS ON THE RWY WAS ONLY EFFECTIVE WHEN BOTH SETS OF LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE, A CONDITION WHICH IS LESS LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN IT IS MOST NEEDED; I.E. IN CONDITIONS OF REDUCED VISIBILITY OR AT LOWER ALTITUDES ABOVE THE GROUND. THE INSPECTION ALSO REVEALED THE WATERWAY LIGHTS WERE BRIGHTER; THE INTENSITY OF THE RWY LIGHTS COULD NOT BE CHANGED BY RADIO.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/14/1985
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 2055
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City PATTERSON
Event State LOUISIANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 70392
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 PATTERSON
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PTN
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 9
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Bright
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 4
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1606
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 15 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 933
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28983
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N808W
NTSB Number FTW85LA183
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MITSUBISHI
Aircraft Model MU2J
Aircraft Series Identifier MU2J
Aircraft Serial Number 609
Certified Max Gross Weight 10800
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 11
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Apr 1 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 20
Airframe Hours 4300
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name COMMANDER AIR SERVICE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 300 POST OAK ROAD # 250
Aircraft Owner City HOUSTON
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77056
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
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 --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Business
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code T86
Departure City HOUSTON
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 2005
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 22
Runway Length 4500
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --