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19991222036631A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Fitchburg, MA · December 22, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 22, 1999 · 14:50 local
Place
Fitchburg, MA
Airport
Fitchburg Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision, first aircraft
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N96273
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC00FA058
Reported as
Cessna 172P
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
190 total10 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days
N96273Registration cancelled Jun 2, 2000 · Cessna 172PS/N 17276050Airframe modelCessna 172P

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)The private pilot was conducting landings in a left traffic pattern to runway 32, and the student pilot was inbound on an instructional solo flight. The student pilot called that he was 4 miles north-northeast of the airport, and shortly thereafter, the private pilot called his downwind leg. The private pilot's airplane completed the downwind leg, then turned onto base, then onto final. On final, the student pilot's airplane overtook it, and then collided with it. The propeller from student pilot's airplane cut through the top of its right wing, and the left strut from the student pilot's airplane impacted its right fuselage. The two airplanes locked together, then made a slow, approximately 160-degree turn while descending rapidly to the ground, about 2,000 feet from the approach end of runway. The airport did not have an operating control tower, and turns in the traffic pattern were to the left. At the time of the collision, the sun was about 90 degrees to the left of the airplanes, about 12 degrees above the horizon. (-23)Mr. Shulyak was on final approach to Fitchburg airport. Approximately 2000 feet prior to runway threshold his aircraft was struck by C-172, N672 dw. N672DW was alos on final approach behind and slightly above and to the right of N96273. N672DW overtook N96273.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING LANDINGS IN A LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN TO RUNWAY 32, AND THE STUDENT PILOT WAS INBOUND ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL SOLO FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT CALLED THAT HE WAS 4 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PRIVATE PILOT CALLED HIS DOWNWIND LEG. THE PRIVATE PILOT'S AIRPLANE COMPLETED THE DOWNWIND LEG, THEN TURNED ONTO BASE, THEN ONTO FINAL. ON FINAL, THE STUDENT PILOT'S AIRPLANE OVERTOOK IT, AND THEN COLLIDED WITH IT. THE PROPELLER FROM STUDENT PILOT'S AIRPLANE CUT THROUGH THE TOP OF ITS RIGHT WING, AND THE LEFT STRUT FROM THE STUDENT PILOT'S AIRPLANE IMPACTED ITS RIGHT FUSELAGE. THE TWO AIRPLANES LOCKED TOGETHER, THEN MADE A SLOW, APPROXIMATELY 160-DEGREE TURN WHILE DESCENDING RAPIDLY TO THE GROUND, ABOUT 2,000 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY. THE AIRPORT DID NOT HAVE AN OPERATING CONTROL TOWER, AND TURNS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WERE TO THE LEFT. AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION, THE SUN WAS ABOUT 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OF THE AIRPLANES, ABOUT 12 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON. (-23)MR. SHULYAK WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO FITCHBURG AIRPORT. APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET PRIOR TO RUNWAY THRESHOLD HIS AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY C-172, N672 DW. N672DW WAS ALOS ON FINAL APPROACH BEHIND AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE AND TO THE RIGHT OF N96273. N672DW OVERTOOK N96273.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC00FA058Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportLeominster, MAThe student pilot's failure to see and avoid the private pilot's airplane. Factors included the student pilot's non-standard traffic pattern entry, the private pilot's failure to check for other traffic before turning onto final, and the position of the sun…Dec 22, 1999 · 2 aircraft · Destroyed

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N672DWCessna 172RAccident 19991222036632A · Destroyed