# Accident 19980516010161A: Beech 95B55, Hollister, CA, May 16, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 16, 1998, 19:00 local time - Place: Hollister, CA - Airport: Hollister Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Collision: Midair collision, first aircraft - Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.8906° N, 121.2399° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.8906&lon=-121.2399&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4421W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4421W) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech 95-B55 (registry code 1152705, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-b55) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 95B55 - Reported engine: CONT IO470L - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 967 total, 47 in this make and model, 72 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA164](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA164) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980516010161A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4)THE BEECH 95, N4421W, WAS TURNING ON THE CROSSWIND LEG WHILE THE PIPER PA-28R, N36574 WAS ON THE 45 DEGREE ANGLE ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE PILOTS IN THE BEECH STATED THAT PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THEY HAD HEARD THE PIPER RADIO THAT THEY WERE FLYING OVER THE AIRPORT AND WOULD RE-ENTER THE PATTERN ON A LEFT 45-DEGREE ENTRY TO THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. THE INSTRUCTOR OF THE BEECH STATED THAT HE VISUALLY VERIFIED THE OTHER AIRPLANE CROSSING OVER THE RUNWAY. AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT OF THE BEECH AIRPLANE REQUESTED A POSITION REPORT FROM THE PIPER. THE PIPER PILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE ON THE 45 FOR THE DOWNWIND. THE BEECH PILOT RADIOED INTENTIONS TO TURN TO THE CROSSWIND, BUT HAD NOT LOCATED THE OTHER AIRPLANE. BOTH INSTRUCTORS SAW EACH OTHER AT THE SAME TIME. THE INSTRUCTOR FOR THE BEECH TOOK THE CONTROLS, WHILE THE STUDENT IN THE PIPER RETAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AS BOTH INITIATED EVASIVE ACTIONS TO MANEUVER AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. THE LEFT WING TIPS OF BOTH AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH EACH OTHER. BOTH AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AT THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT. (-23)ON MAY 16, 1998 AT 1900 HOURS, BEECH BARON N4421W DEPARTED RUNWAY 24 A T HOLLISTER, CA (307). ON BOARD WAS A CERTIFIED MULTI-ENGINE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS GIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ IN PREPARATION FOR A MULTI-ENGINE RATING. UPON REACHING 700 FEET ALTITUDE, N4421W TURNED LEFT CROSSWIND AND MADE A RADIO CALL TO ANNOUNCE THAT THEY WERE TURNING LEFT CROSSWIND FOR LEFT TRAFFIC RUNWAY 24 AT HOLLISTER, CA AIRPORT (307). AT APPROXIMATLEY THE SAME TIME, PIPER ARROW N36574 WITH INSTRUCTOR ^PRIVACY DATA ^ ON BOARD GIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OM^, WAS ENTERING ON A 45 MAKING LEFT TRAFFIC FOR RUNWAY 24 AT HOLLISTER, CA AIRPORT (307). ^PRIVACY D^ OBSERVED THE BEECH BARON AND REALIZED THEY WERE ON A COLLSION COURSE SLIGHTLY BELOW THE BARON. ^PRIVACY DAT^ IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO BANK AWAY TO THE RIGHT WITH SOME DOWNWARD PITCH, HOWEVER, THE PIPER ARROW'S LEFT WING STRUCK JUST INBOARD OF THE BEECH BARON'S LEFT WING TIP CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS OF BOTH AIRCRAFT. BOTH AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY ON RUNWAY 24, HOLLISTER, CA AIRPORT (307). NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE OCCUPANTS. ALTHOUGH BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY OF THEIR POSITIONS, THEY FAILED TO MAINTAIN VIGILANCE TO SEE AND AVOID OTHER AIRCRAFT. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE OPERATED BY CALIFORNIA IN NICE, INC. UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHTS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHTS AND NO FLIGHT PLANS WERE FILED. ## Other aircraft in the event - N36574, Piper PA28R201: [Accident 19980516010162A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980516010162A) ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX98LA164](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA164), May 17, 1998: Beech 95-B55 (N4421W), Hollister, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the instructors and dual students in both aircraft to maintain an adequate visual lookout, which resulted in their combined failures to see and avoid each other. Inadequate supervision… ## Other reports on N4421W (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20040827021689I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040827021689I), Aug 27, 2004: Beech 95B55 (N4421W), San Martin, CA, Minor damage. (-23) No.4 cylinder head of right hand engine separated from cylinder barrel due to worn threads causing broken fuel injector line and exhaust pipe resulting… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.