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19961013046289A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Bbavia 11AC · LA · October 13, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 13, 1996 · 17:50 local
Place
LA
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N3818E
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW97LA018
Reported as
Bbavia 11AC
N3818ERegistered now · Aeronca 11ACS/N 11AC-S-34 · Built 1947Airframe modelAeronca 11ACEngine modelContinental A&C65 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) At approximately 1735 CDT the pilot of N3818E departed the airport traffic area for 15 minutes. When the pilot returned to the airport, he made a left downwind entry for runway 08. The pilot of the ultralight departed the same airport approximately 5 minutes after N3818E and flew around outside the airport traffic pattern for about 10 minutes. Aircraft N3818E was flying about 1500 feet above the surface and the ultralight was about 300 to 500 feet above the surface. During this entire flight the sun was slowly approaching the horizon to the west, southwest of the runway centerline. The two aircraft collided in flight at N3818E was on 1/8 mile final at about 300 feet above the terrain. After the collision the two aircraft hung together briefly. Following separation N3818E was able to be flown to a successful landing on the airport while the ultralight descended to the trees and hung up on the tree tops. There were no injuries to the occupants of the aircraft. The sun appears to be the contributing factor to the accident. No furthe action is to be taken.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 1735 CDT THE PILOT OF N3818E DEPARTED THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC AREA FOR 15 MINUTES. WHEN THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT, HE MADE A LEFT DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR RUNWAY 08. THE PILOT OF THE ULTRALIGHT DEPARTED THE SAME AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER N3818E AND FLEW AROUND OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. AIRCRAFT N3818E WAS FLYING ABOUT 1500 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE AND THE ULTRALIGHT WAS ABOUT 300 TO 500 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE. DURING THIS ENTIRE FLIGHT THE SUN WAS SLOWLY APPROACHING THE HORIZON TO THE WEST, SOUTHWEST OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE TWO AIRCRAFT COLLIDED IN FLIGHT AT N3818E WAS ON 1/8 MILE FINAL AT ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE TERRAIN. AFTER THE COLLISION THE TWO AIRCRAFT HUNG TOGETHER BRIEFLY. FOLLOWING SEPARATION N3818E WAS ABLE TO BE FLOWN TO A SUCCESSFUL LANDING ON THE AIRPORT WHILE THE ULTRALIGHT DESCENDED TO THE TREES AND HUNG UP ON THE TREE TOPS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE SUN APPEARS TO BE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO FURTHE ACTION IS TO BE TAKEN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW97LA018Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOil City, LAthe failure of the pilots of both aircraft to maintain an adequate visual lookout. Factors were: different traffic pattern altitudes flown by the two pilots, and the sunglare encountered by the pilot of the ultralight.Oct 13, 1996 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage