- Date
- September 13, 1985, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Catahoula, LA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N333WLCessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850913044969A
- Case key
- 21848
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 plt took off from a bayou with inadequate distance to climb above the trees growing along each side before the bayou made an aprx 120-DEG right turn. In order to avoid collision with the trees the plt entered a steep banked right turn to follow the bayou. While in the steep turn the acft stalled and snapped sharply to the left. It then impacted trees along the right bank of the bayou and then the bank itself. The acft came to rest inverted and partially submerged in the bayou.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333WL
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18504127
- Airframe hours
- 1,807
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Weatherford Lamb US, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,958 total · 2,877 in this make and model · 3,884 as pilot in command · 137 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.