# Accident 20000318006712A: Piper PA25235, Erwinna, PA, March 18, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 18, 2000, 11:10 local time - Place: Erwinna, PA - Airport: Vansant Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Collision: Midair collision, second aircraft - Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.4904° N, 75.0795° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4904&lon=-75.0795&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7460Z, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7460Z) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-25-235 (registry code 7102504, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-25-235) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA25235 - Reported engine: LYC O540B2C5 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 10,622 total, 1,986 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD00LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD00LA027) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000318006712A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE PILOT ONBOARD DECATHALON N2520Z WERE ON FINAL APPROACH TO VAN SANT AIRPORT (9N1) AND WERE OVERTAKEN FROM BEHIND AND INVOLVED IN COLLISION WITH A PAWNEE, N7460Z, WHICH WAS RETURNING FROM A GLIDER TOW. BOTH A/C WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. BOTH PILOTS ON THE DECATHALON AND THE PAWNEE PILOT SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. (.4) THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE PILOT FLEW THE BELLANCA AIRPLANE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, AND WERE ON THE FOURTH APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PRIVATE PILOT SAID THEY FLEW A 'SQUARED OFF TRAFFIC PATTERN' AND WERE APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) ON FINAL APPROACH WHEN THE OTHER AIRPLANE'S SHADOW PASSED OVER. THE PILOT OF THE PIPER SAID HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, BUT FLEW A MODIFIED BASE LEG TO FINAL FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE BELLANCA ABOVE AND BEHIND THE PIPER AFTER BOTH AIRPLANES TURNED FINAL. THEY SAID THE BELLANCA OVERTOOK THE PIPER AS IT DESCENDED BELOW THE PIPER IN A SLIP. THREE WITNESSES SAID THE BELLANCA SLOWED, PITCHED UP, AND WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY THE PIPER. ONE WITNESS SAID THE BELLANCA'S APP ROACH WAS ON THE RUNWAY HEADING, WHILE THE PIPER'S APPROACH WAS '...TRACKING INBOUND LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE ON A SLIGHT ANGLE.' THE CREW TURNED OFF THE BELLANCA'S RADIOS AFTER ENGINE START, AND THE PIPER WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A COMMUNICATION RADIO. THERE WAS NO LOCALLY PUBLISHED PROCEDURE FOR FLIGHT IN AND AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN NOR WERE THERE ANY DEPICTED 'NO FLY' AREAS FOR PURPOSES OF NOISE ABATEMENT. ACCORDING TO THE AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION MANUAL: 'WHEN TWO OR MORE AIRCRAFT ARE APPROACHING AN AIRPORT FOR THE PURPOSE OF LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT AT THE LOWER ALTITUDE HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY, BUT IT SHALL NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS RULE TO CUT IN FRONT OF ANOTHER WHICH IS ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND, OR TO OVERTAKE THAT AIRCRAFT.' EACH PILOT REPORTED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE AIRPLANES. ## Other aircraft in the event - N2520Z, Bbavia 8KCAB: [Accident 20000318006711A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000318006711A) ## 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 IAD00LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD00LA027), Mar 18, 2000: Piper PA-25 (N7460Z), Erwinna, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the improper entry into the traffic pattern by the pilot of the Piper airplane and the inadequate lookout by the pilots in both airplanes. A factor in the accident was that radio communication was… ## Other reports on N7460Z (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19930511023569I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930511023569I), May 11, 1993: Piper PA25235 (N7460Z), Unionville, PA. Tow line struck a powerline as pilot was attempting to release tow line. Landed safely. - [Incident 19850510048189I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850510048189I), May 10, 1985: Piper PA25235 (N7460Z), Gibsonville, NC, Minor damage. Landed in field after partial power loss. Found a hole burned in exhaust pipe under carburetor heat shield. - [Incident 19781014030319I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19781014030319I), Oct 14, 1978: Piper PA25235 (N7460Z), Durham, NC, Minor damage. Pilot on banner towing operation ran out of fuel. Pilot certificate, aircraft papers not at hand. 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.