Gates Learjet 35A N873LP
22 September 1985 · Auburn, Alabama, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 22 September 1985 at about 17:36 local time, a Gates Learjet 35A registered N873LP, operated by Louisiana Pacific Corp., was involved in an accident near Auburn, Alabama, United States. 8 people were on board and 2 died, 5 were seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 17:36
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Auburn, Alabama, United States
- Nearest airport
- Auburn-Opelika (AUO)
- Coordinates
- 32.5893, -85.4803
- Aircraft
- Gates Learjet 35A
- Registration
- N873LP
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Louisiana Pacific Corp.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Destin → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL85MA282
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gates Learjet 35A 35A | N873LP | Louisiana Pacific Corp. | Destroyed |
| Challenger II II | UNREG | Recreational Aero, Inc. | Destroyed |
Other Gates Learjet 35 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 1985 | Gates Learjet 35A | Fort Worth, Texas, United States | Million Air | No injuries | - |
| 13 Dec 1985 | Gates Learjet 35A | College Station, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Dec 1984 | Gates Learjet 35 | Waco, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Feb 1987 | Gates Learjet 35A | Englewood, Colorado, United States | Personal Jet Charter | No injuries | - |
| 7 Apr 1983 | Gates Learjet 35A | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Apr 1983 | Gates Learjet 35A | Near Orlando, Florida, United States | Prestige Jet | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 1985 | Beechcraft E18S | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Oct 1985 | Cessna 152 | Pell City, Alabama, United States | Charles Harmon | No injuries | - |
| 12 Nov 1985 | Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Mar 1985 | Cessna 172H | Bessemer, Alabama, United States | Civil Air Patrol | No injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 1985 | Cessna 150J | Decatur, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 1985 | Cessna 411 | Mobile, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |