# Accident 20010206001261A: Cessna 152, Platter, OK, February 6, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 6, 2001, 17:48 local time - Place: Platter, OK - Damage: Destroyed - Collision: Midair collision, first aircraft - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: OSUS - Location: 33.9183° N, 96.5608° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9183&lon=-96.5608&mi=10 - Aircraft: N114SS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N114SS-2001-07-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 152 - Reported engine: LYC O235N2C - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 292 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01FA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01FA058) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010206001261A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE A/C STRUCK N96621, A CESSNA 172. THE A/C LOST CONTROLS AND CRASHED INTO THE PLATTER FLATS AREA OF LAKE TEXOMA. THE CE-172 LANDED SAFELY AT SHERMAN, TEXAS. PORTIONS OF THE LEFT WING TIP OF THE CE-152 WERE FOUND INSIDE THE DAMAGED AREA OF THE CE-172. (-19) ON FEBRUARY 6, 2001, APPROX. 1745 CST, TWO SINGLE-ENGINE, HIGH-WING AIRPLANES, A CESSNA 152, N114SS, AND A CESSNA 172P, N96621, COLLIDED IN FLIGHT NEAR PLATTER, OK. THE CESSNA 152 WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED LAKE TEXOMA. THE CESSNA 172 SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMGE DURING THE COLLISION, AND THEN PROCEEDED TO THE SHERMAN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, SHERMAN, TEXAS, WHERE IT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CESSNA 152 WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, DURANT, OKLAHOMA, AND THE CESSNA 172 WAS REGISTERED TO SUMMERLIN AVIATION INC., KELLER, TEXAS, AND OPERATED BY MONARCH AVIATION INC., OF ADDISON, TX. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT IN THE CESSNA 152 SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE PRIVATEPILOT OF THE CESSNA 172, AND HIS NON-PILOT RATED PASSENGER, WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND FLIGHT PLANS WERE NOT FIL ED FOR EITHER FLIGHT, WHICH WERE OPERATING UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE CESSNA 152 ORIGINATED FROM EAKER FIELD, DURANT, OKLAHOMA, AT 1730, AND WAS OPERATING AS A LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE CESSNA 172 ORIGINATED FROM THE ADDISON AIRPORT, ADDISON, TX., APPROX. 1715, AND WAS OPERATING AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172, HE DEPARTED ADDISON AIRPORT TO THE NORTH, HE FLEW TOWARD LAKE TEXOMA, AND ONCE OVER THE LAKE, TURNED RIGHT TO A SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT, AT 3,500 FEET, AND HAD JUST CROSSED THE EAST SHORELINE OF THE LAKE WHEN THE PILOT FELT A "LUMP OR THUD" NEAR THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE. HE STATED THAT, FOLLOWING THE THUD HE FELT AIR COMING INTO THE CABIN FROM THE LEFT DOOR AND RECOGNIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE REQUIRED EXCESSIVE RIGHT RUDDER TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. HE DIALED IN 7700 INTO THE AIRPLANE'S TRANSPONDER, DECLARED "MAYDAY" ON 122.8, AND PROCEEDED TO THE SHERMAN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, SHERMAN, TEXAS, LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PILOT ADDED THAT AT NO TIME PRIOR TO THE COLLISION, DURING THE COLLISION, OR FOLLOWING THE COLLISION, DID HE OBSERVE ANOTHER AIRPLANE. MULTIPLE WITNESSES REPORTED THAT, BETWEEN 1740 AND 1750 THEY HEARD A "POP" OR "BANG" AND LOOKED TO THE SKY. THEY OBSERVED ONE AIRPLAN "SPIRALING" TOWARD THE LAKE AND , SUBSEQUENTLY, IMPACT THE LAKE 50 YARDS OFFSHORE FROM THE PLATTER FLATS AREA. THEY ALSO OBSERVED A SECOND AIRPLANE FLYING IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION. A DEBRIS FIELD WAS LOCATED NEAR THE PLATTER FLATS AREA, WHICH EXTENDED INLAND APPROX. 150 YARDS. THE DEBRIS FIELD INCLUDED SECTIONS OF THE CESSNA 152'S LEFT WING-TIP AND A 4-FOOT SECTION OF THE LEFT AILERON. THE AIRFRAME OF THE CESSNA 152, EXCEPT FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WAS RECEVERED FROM THE LAKE ON FEBRUARY 7, 2001. RECOVERY EFFORTS FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, ENGINE, AND PROPELLER ARE ON-GOING. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, EXAMINED THE CESSNA 172 AND 152, ALONG WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FAA AND CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY. THE CESSNA 172 EXHIBITED LONGITUDINAL WITNESS MARKS, INITIATING AT THE LEFT WING STRUT AND EXTENDING AFT ALONG THE EXTERIOR LOWER HALF OF THE PILOT'S DOOR, WHICH WAS COMPRESSED INWARD 5 INCHES. THE WITNESS MARKS CONTINUED AFT ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE ENDING APPROX. 1 FOOT FORWARD OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. A VERTICAL PROPELLER SLASH WAS OBSERVED ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRPLANE, BEGINNING AT A POINT 3 FEET FORWARD OF THE TAIL TIE DOWN RING AND EXTENDING AFT 2 FEET. ADDITIONALLY, A SEVERED RUDDE CABLE WAS OBSERVED IN THE EMPENNAGE AREA OF THE CESSNA 172. THE PILOT'S DOOR WAS THEN REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME OF THE CESSNA 172. A SHATTERED RED LENS, SHATTERED CLEAR LENS, SECTIONS OF A WING-TIP, AND COIL FROM A STROBE LIGHT WERE OBSERVED INSIDE THE CESSNA 172. THE FUSELAGE OF THE CESSNA 152 WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES. BOTH WING LEADING EDGES WERE COMPRESSED REARWARD TO THE FLAPS AND AILERONS. A 4-FOOT SECTION OF THE LEFT AIRLERON AND THE LEFT WING TIP WERE MSSING. THE EMPENNAGE DISPLAYED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, RUDDER, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR REMAINED INTACT, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED. (.4) A CESSNA 172 HAD JUST CROSSED THE EAST SHORELINE OF A LAKE, TRAVELING IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION IN CRUISE FLIGHT, WHEN ITS PILOT FELT A "LUMP OR THUD" NEAR THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE. THE CESSNA 172 (WHITE WITH BLUE AND GRAY TRIM) AND A CESSNA 152 (WHITE WITH BLUE AND GOLD TRIM) HAD COLLIDED. THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172 THEN FELT AIR COMING INTO THE CABIN FROM THE LE FT DOOR AND REALIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE REQUIRED EXCESSIVE RIGHT RUDDER TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CESSNA 172 PROCEEDED TO A NEARBY AIRPORT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CESSNA 152 ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AND IMPACTED THE LAKE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT IN THE CESSNA 152 WERE PRACTICING PRE-SOLO FLIGHT MANEUVERS. THE CESSNA 172 DISPLAYED LONGITUDINAL RED AND BLUE PAINT TRANSFER MARKINGS, WHICH INITIATED AT THE LEFT WING STRUT AND EXTENDED AFT ALONG THE EXTERIOR LOWER HALF OF THE PILOT'S DOOR, WHICH WAS COMPRESSED INWARD 5 INCHES. THE WITNESS MARKS CONTINUED AFT ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE ENDING APPROXIMATELY 1 FOOT FORWARD OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. A VERTICAL PROPELLER SLASH WAS OBSERVED ON THE BELLY OF THE CESSNA 172, WHICH INITIATED AT A POINT 3 FEET FORWARD OF THE TAIL TIE DOWN RING AND EXTENDED AFT 2 FEET. TWO PUNCTURE HOLES WERE NOTED ON THE UPPER RIGHT SIDE OF THE CESSNA 172'S EMPENNAGE, WHICH CORRESPONDED TO THE LOCATION THAT THE CESSNA 152'S PROPELLER BLADE TIP EXITED THE CESSNA 172'S AIRFRAME SKIN AFTER IT HAD SEVERED ONE OF THE CESSNA 172'S RUDDER CABLES. THE CESSNA 152'S SHATTERED RED NAVIGATIONAL LIGHT LENS, SHATTERED CLEAR STROBE LIGHT LENS AND ITS COIL, AND SECTIONS OF ITS LEFT WING-TIP CAP WERE FOUND ON THE CABIN FLOOR OF THE CESSNA 172. SECTIONS OF THE CESSNA 152'S LEFT WING-TIP CAP, A 4-FOOT SECTION OF ITS AILERON CONTROL SURFACE, AND ITS STROBE LIGHT POWER BOX ATTACHED TO A 2-FOOT SECTION OF LEFT WING SKIN WERE LOCATED IN A SEPARATE DEBRIS FIELD ALONG THE SHORELINE OF THE LAKE. OFFICIAL SUNSET FOR THE ACCIDENT AREA OCCURRED AT 1802, 7 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172 REPORTED THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS CLEAR WITH HAZE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SUN, WHICH WAS SETTING. ## Other aircraft in the event - N96621, Cessna 172P: [Accident 20010206001262A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010206001262A) ## 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 FTW01FA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01FA058), Feb 6, 2001: Cessna 152 (N114SS), Platter, OK, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: the failure of both pilots to maintain a visual lookout, which resulted in a mid-air collision over a lake. A contributing factor to the accident was the sun glare from the setting sun. 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.