19990530006142A

N1066F & N66018 on left downwind for rwy 4L. N66018 climbed into N1066F. Emergency was declared N66018 touched down between rwys, crossed rwy 4R and twy d, came to a stop on ramp. N1066F landed on rwy 4L, taxied onto twy b and exited onto grass. (From .19) 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, AZ. 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-austria departed from Falcon field 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-aust ria 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 aircract 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 alot 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 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 approx. 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 t he horizontal stabilizer. According to the same inspector, the impact mark on the underside of the right wing of the hoac austria started in mid-chord, about 3 feet outboard of the fuselage and angled inboard approx. 45 degrees toward the nose. The shape of the mark is approx. 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 ledge of the hoac-austria. (-23) the katana motorglider had departed from runway 4 right and had asked the tower for closed traffic then which the tower had told the motor glider to expect the tower to call his crosswind, after a short time the tower had the motorglider follow another Cessna that was established on downwind and the motorglider said that they had traffic ahead and then established on downwind. The motorglider then made a radio call that he was on downwind abeam the tower. The last word of his call was heard on the tape but the tower had talked over the first part of the transmission. About 6 seconds after the motorglider made a call a Cessna 172 had struck the motorglider from behind and slightly lower. The propeller had shattered on the motorglider but the pilot was able to land the motorglider on runway 4 left. No one on either a/c was injured. (.4)the midair collision occurred on downwind leg while both aircraft were in the touch-and-go landing pattern at the tower controlled airport. The high-wing Cessna 172 aircraft, which had completed three prior touch-and-go patterns, climbed up under this low wing motor glider prior to the collision. Both aircraft landed safely. The investigation revealed that the pilot of the Cessna 172 had not been issued a landing sequence or 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 to the Cessna 172. There were six aircraft in the landing pattern and five more awaiting departure. The accident occurred during daylight hours and there were high, scattered clouds and a visibility of 40 statute miles.