What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On long low final was struck from above and behind by plane turing from close in base. (.19) on September 15, 1995, about 1644 eastern daylight time, an aerospatiale TB-9, N117ER, operated by embry-riddle aeronautical university (embry-riddle) and a Piper PA-38-112, N2351A, operated by spruce creek aviation, collided while on final approach to runway 11 at New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, new Smyrna Beach Florida. Both flights were 14 CFR part 91 instructional flights. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and neither flight had filed a flight plan. N117ER was destroyed and the commercial-rated flight instructor and two student pilots were fatally injured. N2351A received minor damage and the private-rated pilot was not injured. N117ER originated from daytona Beach regional airport, on September 15, 1995, about 1540. N2351A originated from spruce creek airport, daytona Beach, Florida, on September 15, 1995, about 1610. The pilot of N2351A stated he had performed four previous landings on runway 11 at new Smyrna Beach and was on his fifth approach. He reported his position by transmitting on the airport UNICOM frequency (UNICOM) while on the downwind leg. He tur ned base leg, reported his position on UNICOM, and visually checked for other aircraft on final. He did not hear or see any other aircraft. He turned to final and established his airspeed at 70 knots. While on short final he heard someone on the UNICOM frequency say two planes on final, tomahawk go around. At the same time he heard a noise from the bottom of his aircraft and then saw N117ER nosing down in front of him. His propeller then contacted something. His engine began running rough and he proceeded to land on the runway. Witnessnes reported that N2351A had been in the traffic pattern for runway 11 for several approaches and landings. The pilot was flying a very close pattern to the runway. No one could remember hearing N117ER report in the pattern. They saw N117ER on final approach, and N2351A rolling wings level onto final approach just above and behind N117ER. The pilot in an aircraft on the ground called on UNICOM that there were two airplanes close together on final. There was no reaction from either aircraft. Another pilot, in an aircraft on the ground then called for N2351A to go around. Shortly after this, N117ER was observed to nose up 10-20 degrees and then immediately nose down to a near vertical descent from which it impacted on the displaced area of runway 11.
As the FAA filed it
ON LONG LOW FINAL WAS STRUCK FROM ABOVE AND BEHIND BY PLANE TURING FROM CLOSE IN BASE. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1995, ABOUT 1644 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE TB-9, N117ER, OPERATED BY EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY (EMBRY-RIDDLE) AND A PIPER PA-38-112, N2351A, OPERATED BY SPRUCE CREEK AVIATION, COLLIDED WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 11 AT NEW SMYRNA BEACH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, NEW SMYRNA BEACH FLORIDA. BOTH FLIGHTS WERE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHTS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NEITHER FLIGHT HAD FILED A FLIGHT PLAN. N117ER WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND TWO STUDENT PILOTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. N2351A RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. N117ER ORIGINATED FROM DAYTONA BEACH REGIONAL AIRPORT, ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1995, ABOUT 1540. N2351A ORIGINATED FROM SPRUCE CREEK AIRPORT, DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA, ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1995, ABOUT 1610. THE PILOT OF N2351A STATED HE HAD PERFORMED FOUR PREVIOUS LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 11 AT NEW SMYRNA BEACH AND WAS ON HIS FIFTH APPROACH. HE REPORTED HIS POSITION BY TRANSMITTING ON THE AIRPORT UNICOM FREQUENCY (UNICOM) WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. HE TUR NED BASE LEG, REPORTED HIS POSITION ON UNICOM, AND VISUALLY CHECKED FOR OTHER AIRCRAFT ON FINAL. HE DID NOT HEAR OR SEE ANY OTHER AIRCRAFT. HE TURNED TO FINAL AND ESTABLISHED HIS AIRSPEED AT 70 KNOTS. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL HE HEARD SOMEONE ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY SAY TWO PLANES ON FINAL, TOMAHAWK GO AROUND. AT THE SAME TIME HE HEARD A NOISE FROM THE BOTTOM OF HIS AIRCRAFT AND THEN SAW N117ER NOSING DOWN IN FRONT OF HIM. HIS PROPELLER THEN CONTACTED SOMETHING. HIS ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND HE PROCEEDED TO LAND ON THE RUNWAY. WITNESSNES REPORTED THAT N2351A HAD BEEN IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 11 FOR SEVERAL APPROACHES AND LANDINGS. THE PILOT WAS FLYING A VERY CLOSE PATTERN TO THE RUNWAY. NO ONE COULD REMEMBER HEARING N117ER REPORT IN THE PATTERN. THEY SAW N117ER ON FINAL APPROACH, AND N2351A ROLLING WINGS LEVEL ONTO FINAL APPROACH JUST ABOVE AND BEHIND N117ER. THE PILOT IN AN AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND CALLED ON UNICOM THAT THERE WERE TWO AIRPLANES CLOSE TOGETHER ON FINAL. THERE WAS NO REACTION FROM EITHER AIRCRAFT. ANOTHER PILOT, IN AN AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND THEN CALLED FOR N2351A TO GO AROUND. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, N117ER WAS OBSERVED TO NOSE UP 10-20 DEGREES AND THEN IMMEDIATELY NOSE DOWN TO A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT FROM WHICH IT IMPACTED ON THE DISPLACED AREA OF RUNWAY 11.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.