19990530006141A

On may 30, 1999, at 0854 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 172P, N66018, collided in flight with a hoac-austria hk 36R super dimona, N1066F, while both aircraft were on landing approach at Falcon field, Mesa, Arizona. Both pilots were able to land their aircraft. The Cessna was operated by southwest flight center as a dual instructional flight under 14 CFR part 91 and was substantially damaged. The Cessna departed from scottsdale, Arizona about 0800. The hoac-austria was operated by sky king soaring as a personal flight under 14 CFR part 91 and received minor damage. The hoac-austris departed from Falcon fiel about 0850. There were no injuries sustained by the commercial licensed flight instructor or student pilot in the Cessna nor by the commercial licensed pilot and passenger in the hoac-austria. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and neither aircraft was operating on a flight plan. The pilot of the hoac-austria reported that they had just departed on runway 4R and intended to remain in the pattern to practice touch-and-go landings. At Falcon field, he said, all traffic is left hand to the north of the airport for runways 4L and 4R due to a noise sensitive area south of the airport. He said that the tower told him to expect to follow a Cessna taking off on runway 4L and to continue upwind and the tower would call his crosswind leg. His upwind was longer than normal. He recalled seeing another Cessna which entered downwind from the 45 and recalled following that aircraft but doesn't recall ever seeing a Cessna departing off 4L or the tower directing his attention to that aircraft after takeoff. About 15 seconds after reporting downwind to the tower, and while in level flight on downwind leg opposite the tower, the midair occurred. He felt a jarring, then a lot of noise and then saw a Cessna in front of his plane going away from him. He reported his aircraft's speed on downwind was 75 knots. He said there was damage on his airplane on the lower surface of the right wing about 3 feet outboard of the fuselage that angled toward the nose of his aircraft. There was also paint transfer from the Cessna on the right side of his aircraft's engine cowl and damage to the propeller and spinner. The pilot of the Cessna reported that he and his student departed scottsdale airport and went to Falcon field to practice touch-and-go landings. They had completed three touch-and-goes in left traffic to runway 4L and were on downwind for the fourth touch-and-go at the time of the collision. They were on downwind leg, in level flight, and the student had reduced power to 2,300 RPM. They were flying about 100 knots IAS. He recalled asking his student if he had his traffic in sight and the student identified traffic well in front of them. About that time he heard a "motorglider" call the tower on downwind. Since that was approximately their position, he looked to the right anticipating traffic turning downwind from the 45. While he was looking to the right he felt the collision. He doesn't recall that the tower ever issued them a landing sequence or pointed out the traffic they collided with. He said the tower was "not too busy" and there were at least four aircraft in the airport traffic pattern. According to an inspector from the faa's scottsdale flight standards district office, the upper 2/3 of the vertical fin and rudder of the Cessna were damaged and the fuselage tailcone was buckled forward of the horizontal stabilizer. According to the same inspector, the impact mark on the underside of the right wing of the hoac austria started at mid-chord, about 3 feet outboard of the fuselage and angled inboard approximately 45 degrees toward the nose. The shape of the mark is approximately that of the rudder mass balance of the Cessna 172 and the paint marks were blunt where they start at mid-chord and tapered to a fine point near the wing leading edge of the hoac-austria. (.4)the midair collision occurred on downwind leg while both aircraft were in the touch-and-go landing pattern at the tower-controlled airport. This high-wing aircraft, which had completed three touch-and-go patterns, climbed up under the low wing aircraft prior to the collision. Both aircraft landed safely. The investigation revealed that the pilot of this aircraft had not been issued a landing sequence or a traffic advisory by the air traffic controller, and, the pilot believed he was following another high wing aircraft well ahead of them on downwind. The local air traffic controller acknowledged that he had become confused with the sequence of landing aircraft and had not issued a landing sequence or traffic advisory to this aircraft. There were six aircraft in the landing pattern and five more awaiting d eparture. The accident occurred during daylight hours and there were high, scattered clouds and visibility of 40 statute miles. (-23)this Cessna 172 had departed scottsdale airport for an instructional flight enroute for Mesa Falcon for touch and goes. The aircraft was established in the traffic pattern and was on his forth circuit in the pattern. The instructor then asked the student if he had the traffic that he was suppose to be following. At midfield the instructor heard somebody falling that he was midfield downwind abeam the tower. The instructor then immediately looked in the direction of a 45 entry to the pattern. Then the instructor felt an impact and made and immediate landing on the airport landing across both 4 left and 4 right. The aircraft had its rudder and vertical stabilizer damaged. Nobody on either aircraft was injured.