- Date
- September 22, 1985, 12:36 local (17:36 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, AL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 5 serious, 1 minor
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N873LPGates Learjet 35AUNREGChallenger II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850922051651A
- Case key
- 6895
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Drg arrival, the aircrew of a gates lear jet 35A, N873LP, canceled their IFR clearance & contacted the Auburn UNICOM, then entered the traffic pattern to land on rwy 18. The UNICOM operator rprtd that the lear jet crew had rprtd their position on each portion of the traffic pattern. At aprx the same time, the plt of an unregistered, experimental, challenger ii was in the traffic pattern for rwy 10. The 2 rwys intersected at their apch ends. Just before landing, the 2 acft collided as they were crossing ovr the intersection & crashed on the arpt. The challenger (a 2 place version of an ultralight vehicle) was not equipped with a radio & the UNICOM operator was unaware of its presence in the trafficpattern. The lear jet plt stated that neither he nor his coplt had seen any other traffic at the arpt. No indication was found that either crew had taken evasive action. An exam of the crash site revealed evidence that the collison had occurred aprx 50 ft abv the intersection.
Drg arrival, the aircrew of a gates lear jet 35A, N873LP, canceled their IFR clearance & contacted the Auburn UNICOM, then entered the traffic pattern to land on rwy 18. The UNICOM operator rprtd that the lear jet crew had rprtd their position on each portion of the traffic pattern. At aprx the same time, the plt of an unregistered, experimental, challenger ii was in the traffic pattern for rwy 10. The 2 rwys intersected at their apch ends. Just before landing, the 2 acft collided as they were crossing ovr the intersection & crashed on the arpt. The challenger (a 2 place version of an ultralight vehicle) was not equipped with a radio & the UNICOM operator was unaware of its presence in the trafficpattern. The lear jet plt stated that neither he nor his coplt had seen any other traffic at the arpt. No indication was found that either crew had taken evasive action. An exam of the crash site revealed evidence that the collision had occurred aprx 50 ft abv the intersection.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N873LP
- Reported as
- Gates Learjet 35A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 104
- Airframe hours
- 4,171
- Engine
- Garrett TFE-731-2-2B, 3,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Louisiana Pacific Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- Destin, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- AUO · Auburn-Opelika, runway 18, 3,945 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Challenger II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Engine
- Rotax 447-336.6CC, 25 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Recreational Aero,Inc.
- Departed
- Tuskegee, AL
- Airport
- AUO · Auburn-Opelika, runway 10, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N873LP
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 354 total · 278 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CSG, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.