20010206001262A

(-23) On February 6, 2001, at approximately 1745 CST, two single engine airplanes, a Cessna 172P, N96621 and a Cessna 152, N114SS, collided in flight over lake texoma, near Platter, OK. The 152 was destroyed when it impacted into lake texoma, the 172 sustained substabtial damage during the collision, and then proceeded to the sherman municipal airport, Texas, where it landed without further incident. The 152 was on a training flight out of durant, OK, both occupants a flight instructor and a student pilot sustained fatal injuries. The 172 was on a pleasure flight out of addison, TX, and there were no injuries to the private pilot of passenger. According to the pilot of the 172 he was in level flight headed in a southeasterly direction at 3,500 feet, the pilot stated he heard a loud thump and felt pressure towards the rear left side of his aircraft. He stated he looked around but was unable to determine what he had imapacted with, weather was VMC with haze, the 152 would have been headed into the sun. Damage to the Cessna 172 was substantial with longitudinal witness marks initiating at the left wing strut and extending aft along the fuselage to the horizontal stabilizer. A vertical propeller slash was observed on the belly of the airfcraft, beginning at a point 3 feet foward of the tail tie down ring and extending aft 2 feet, the rear bagage door area was compressed approximately 5 inches. Additionally, a severed rudder cable was observed in the empennage area, and three of the fuselage formers had been cut in half. Multiple witnesses reported that they heard a bang and looked to the sky. They observed one airplane spiraling toward the lake and witnessed the aircraft impact the lake, they also observed another aircraft flying in a southeasterly direction. The pilot of the 172 also stated that at no time prior to, during or after the collision did he observe another aircraft. A debris field was located approximately 200 yards from the 152 crash site, which included sections of the 152'S left wing tip and a 4 foot section of the left aileron. (.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 left 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 severedone 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.