Patterson-Harry P. Williams

According to the pilot’s family, the purpose of the flight was to transport the passenger to the Sugarland Regional Airport (SGR), Houston, Texas, where a family member would pick him up. According to the passenger’s family, the purpose of the flight was for the passenger to travel to Houston for a medical appointment. A review of ADS-B data showed that the airplane departed from the Gonzales Regional Airport (REG), Gonzales, Louisiana, at 1456 and landed at 1511 at the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport (PTN), Patterson, Louisiana. According to the PTN airport manager, the airplane taxied over to the fixed-base operator and remained at idle while the passenger boarded the airplane. Video footage showed that the passenger pulled a rolling suitcase out to the airplane. Once the passenger boarded, the pilot then got out of the airplane and walked over to the left side, where he appeared to look at something on the airplane. The pilot then boarded the airplane and taxied to runway 24 for departure. The pilot announced on the airport common traffic advisory frequency that the airplane was departing runway 24, and no further radio transmissions were heard from the airplane. No ADS-B data were available for the airplane’s takeoff. Video footage captured part of the accident sequence, showing the airplane in an extreme, nose-low attitude while rolling through inverted and impacting a field near the departure end of runway 24. A witness, who was driving in her vehicle near an intersection just to the west of PTN, observed the airplane shortly after it departed from runway 24. She observed that the airplane was “tilted to the left,” turned on its side, and then entered a nosedive. She observed the airplane impact a field, explode, and both the wreckage and surrounding area caught fire. She could not tell if the airplane’s engines sounded abnormal before impact, as she was driving at the time, nor did she observe any smoke or flames emitting from the airplane before impact. She said that, from her position, it did not appear that the airplane was trying to turn back to the airport. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire and both occupants were killed.

While descending into the Patterson area on an IFR flight plan, the pilot was cleared to hold and was advised that he would be the #2 aircraft for an approach to the Patterson Airport. A few minutes later the pilot asked how long the delay would be. He subsequently stated he had the airport, cancelled IFR and was going in VFR. A pilot who had just departed the airport heard a Mitsubishi call 'turning base.' He could not see an aircraft on base for runway 05. He called but did not receive a reply. The aircraft contacted trees along a heading of about 225°. The flaps were extended about 5° and the landing gear were extended. All three occupants were killed.

While on a LOC/DME approach to Patterson-Harry P. Williams Airport in marginal weather conditions, the pilot was completing a left turn when the airplane collided with trees and crashed. Both occupants were killed.

A structural failure occurred shortly after takeoff. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field, killing both occupants, among them Jimmie Wedell, aircraft's creator and designer.