- Date
- April 13, 1985, 19:40 local (Apr 14, 1985, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Athens, LA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3RUCessna 320B
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850413014439A
- Case key
- 21540
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
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
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3RU
- Reported as
- Cessna 320B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 320B0023
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-470-C, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Eidoarie, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 26, 1984 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- F43 · El Dorado, AR
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Observed at
- SHV, 44 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.