Buchanan Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Concord, California 94520
Tuesady, December 3, 1985 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON 12/3/85 AT APRX 0830, THE ACFT WAS FND LYING INVERTED IN A CANAL ADJACENT TO THE ARPT WHERE IT HAD BEEN ON 24 HR STANDBY FOR MEDICAL FLTS. TWELVE DAYS LATER, THE PLT'S BODY WAS ALSO FND IN THE CANAL. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT HAD BEEN TAKEN SOMETIME DURING A PERIOD WHEN THE TOWER WAS CLOSED BETWEEN 2200 PST ON 12/2/85 & 0600 PST THE NEXT MORNING, WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT OF THE OPERATOR. MAIN GEAR TIRE MARKS WERE FND IN MUD WHERE THE ACFT HAD CONTD OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY. BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY, THE ACFT HIT A FENCE & A 5 FT DIRT BANK, THEN HIT THE GND AFTER BEING AIRBORNE ABOUT 200 FT & CAME TO REST IN THE CANAL. SHERIFF'S PSNL CONTACTED FRIENDS OF THE PLT, WHO HAD SPENT THE EVENING WITH HIM. BASE ON INFORMATION THAT THEY PROVIDED CONCERNING THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, THE SHERIFF'S PSNL STATED THAT THE PLT WOULD HAVE BEEN LEGALLY INTOXICATED. THE OVERRUN WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE OCCURRED DURING EITHER A LANDING OR A TAKEOFF ON 12/3/85.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/3/1985
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 0
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City CONCORD
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 94520
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BUCHANAN
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CCR
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 23
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
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/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2037
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 3 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 29431
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 N17690
NTSB Number LAX86FVD03
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name AERO COMMANDER
Aircraft Model 680T
Aircraft Series Identifier 680T
Aircraft Serial Number 1577-31
Certified Max Gross Weight 9450
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 --
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DOUGLAS P. SERPA
Aircraft Owner Street Address 81 JOHN GLENN DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City CONCORD
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94520
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? No
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 Yes - certificate holder
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) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City UNKNOWN
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Unknown
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 1L
Runway Length 4712
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --