# Accident 19981219033592A: Cessna 172M, Okeechobee, FL, December 19, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 19, 1998, 13:11 local time - Place: Okeechobee, FL - Airport: Okeechobee County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Collision: Midair collision, second aircraft - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.5008° N, 80.9307° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.5008&lon=-80.9307&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9295H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9295H) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 30 total, 30 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA051) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981219033592A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT COLLIDED IN MID AIR WITH N98KK, A LET BLANIK L-13 GLIDER. (.19)ON DECEMBER 19, 1998, ABOUT 1311 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172M, N9295H, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, AND A LET L-13 GLIDER, N98KK, REGISTERED TO MID FLORIDA SOARING ASSOCIATION, COLLIDED WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT, OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR EITHER FLIGHT. THE CESSNA FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 VFR PART 91, AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT AND THE GLIDER WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CESSNA WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE CESSNA FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 38 MINUTES EARLIER FROM THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY AIRPORT, PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA. THE GLIDER FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 8 MINUTES EARLIER FROM THE OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT. THE CESSNA PILOT STATED THAT WHEN THE FLIGHT WAS ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, HE ANNOUNCED HIS POSITION ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY AND ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 13. AT THAT TIME HE OBSERVED THE GLIDER AIRCRAFT FLYING SOUTHEAST BOUND. THE CESSNA FLIGHT CONTINUED THEN TURNED LEFT BASE, ANNOUNCED THIS ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY, WHEN HE HEARD THE GLIDER PILOT ANNOUNCE HIS POSITION ON THE FREQUENCY. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH ABOUT 500, HE FELT AN IMPACT ON THE EMPENNAGE AND REALIZED HE HAD NO RUDDER CONTROL. HE CONTINUED THE APPROACH, LANDED UNEVENTFULLY, THEN TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RAMP. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS DETERMINED TO BE DISPLACED TO THE RIGHT. THE GLIDER PILOT STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS TOWED TO 1,500 FEET, RELEASED, THEN CIRCLED THREE TO FOUR TIMES SOUTHEAST OF THE FIELD, TO ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE. HE REPORTED HEARING ANOTHER PILOT ANNOUNCE THAT HIS AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 13. HE TURNED DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL, ANNOUNCING HIS INTENTIONS ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY USING A PORTABLE VHF TRANSCEIVER. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE GRASS RUNWAY WHICH IS LOCATED WEST OF RUNWAY 13, HE HEARD AND FELT AN IMPACT. HE OBSERVED THAT THE CESSNA WAS PULLING AWAY TO HIS LEFT. HE CONTINUED THE APPROACH AND LANDED ON THE GRASS RUNWAY. DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT BOTTOM PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE AND SCRAPES TO THE LEFT WING WERE NOTED. (-23) ON DECEMBER 19, 1998 AT APPROXIMATELY 1329 EST A CESSNA CE-172 AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A GLIDER WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE ON A PART 14 CFR 91 VFR FLIGHT. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE ATTEMPTING TO LAND. BOTH AIRCRAFT FLEW A LEFT PATTERN. THE COLLISION OCCURED ON FINAL APPROACH AS THE GLIDER CROSSED THE FINAL APPROACH PATH TO LAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. ## 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 MIA99LA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA051), Dec 19, 1998: Cessna 172M (N9295H), Okeechobee, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadequate visual lookout of the pilot of the Cessna airplane and of the pilot of the glider resulting in the midair collision. 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.