What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 12, 1999, at 1329 eastern daylight time, a mid-air collision occurred between a Cessna 337C, N973FS, and a Cessna 305C, N3255P, while conducting flybys at an airshow at Harriman and west airport (aqw), North Adams, Massachusetts. Both airplanes were destroyed. The certificated commercial pilot in N973FS, and the certificated private pilot in N3255P were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that had departed from aqw. No flight plan had been filed for the flight which was conducted on a waiver under 14 CFR part 91. (-23) according to witnesses the pilot was performing a fly by at 500 feet AGL at the North Adams airshow, when his aircraft collided with another aircraft which was supposed to be flying at 200 feet AGL. .4)three airplanes were making fly-bys at an airshow. The pilots were bri efed to prepare for multiple passes. The faster airplane, a Cessna 337 was assigned a minimum altitude of 500 feet AGL, while the two slower airplanes, a Piper J3C-65, followed by Cessna 305 were restricted from climbing above 200 feet AGL. After the Cessna 337 made one fly-by, the Piper and Cessna 305 flew by show-center. Passing show-center, the Piper remained below 200 feet AGL. However, the Cessna 305 initiated a climb as the Cessna 337 returned toward show-center for his second pass. Witnesses reported the airboss advised the pilot of the Cessna 337 that the Cessna 305 was climbing. The downward visibility over the nose of the Cessna 337 restricted the pilot from seeing the Cessna 305 until it appeared in front of him. At the time of the collision, the Cessna 337 was maneuvering to the right and descending. The Cessna 305 was in a wings level climb straight ahead.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 12, 1999, AT 1329 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MID-AIR COLLISION OCCURRED BETWEEN A CESSNA 337C, N973FS, AND A CESSNA 305C, N3255P, WHILE CONDUCTING FLYBYS AT AN AIRSHOW AT HARRIMAN AND WEST AIRPORT (AQW), NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS. BOTH AIRPLANES WERE DESTROYED. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT IN N973FS, AND THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT IN N3255P WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT HAD DEPARTED FROM AQW. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT WHICH WAS CONDUCTED ON A WAIVER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. (-23) ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING A FLY BY AT 500 FEET AGL AT THE NORTH ADAMS AIRSHOW, WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING AT 200 FEET AGL. .4)THREE AIRPLANES WERE MAKING FLY-BYS AT AN AIRSHOW. THE PILOTS WERE BRI EFED TO PREPARE FOR MULTIPLE PASSES. THE FASTER AIRPLANE, A CESSNA 337 WAS ASSIGNED A MINIMUM ALTITUDE OF 500 FEET AGL, WHILE THE TWO SLOWER AIRPLANES, A PIPER J3C-65, FOLLOWED BY CESSNA 305 WERE RESTRICTED FROM CLIMBING ABOVE 200 FEET AGL. AFTER THE CESSNA 337 MADE ONE FLY-BY, THE PIPER AND CESSNA 305 FLEW BY SHOW-CENTER. PASSING SHOW-CENTER, THE PIPER REMAINED BELOW 200 FEET AGL. HOWEVER, THE CESSNA 305 INITIATED A CLIMB AS THE CESSNA 337 RETURNED TOWARD SHOW-CENTER FOR HIS SECOND PASS. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRBOSS ADVISED THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 337 THAT THE CESSNA 305 WAS CLIMBING. THE DOWNWARD VISIBILITY OVER THE NOSE OF THE CESSNA 337 RESTRICTED THE PILOT FROM SEEING THE CESSNA 305 UNTIL IT APPEARED IN FRONT OF HIM. AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION, THE CESSNA 337 WAS MANEUVERING TO THE RIGHT AND DESCENDING. THE CESSNA 305 WAS IN A WINGS LEVEL CLIMB STRAIGHT AHEAD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.