# Accident 20130531009451A: Cessna 172S, Pheonix, AZ, May 31, 2013 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 31, 2013, 10:03 local time - Place: Pheonix, AZ - Airport: Deer Valley - Damage: Destroyed - Collision: Midair collision - Phase of flight: Maneuver - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: WIWS - Location: 33.8647° N, 112.2014° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8647&lon=-112.2014&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2459K, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2459K-2018-01-02) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR13FA254](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA254) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130531009451A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. LOCATION: 3 MILES EAST OF ANTHEM, AZ [33°51'53.5", W 112°12'05"] POB/INJURIES 2/2 N327PA (WPR13FA254A)+ 2/2 N2459K - NO GROUND INJURIES DEPARTURE POINT: KDVT FOR THE PURPOSES OF CONDUCTING AN INSTRUCTOR PROFICIENCY CHECK IAW 14CFR SECTION 141.79 INTENDED DESTINATION: KDVT CFR: 91/141 INSTRUCTOR PROFICIENCY CHECK ON MAY 31, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:03 AM TWO AIRCRAFT COLLIDED THREE MILES EAST OF ANTHEM, AZ RESULTING IN TWO DESTROYED AIRCRAFT AND FOUR FATALITIES. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE AIRCRAFT WERE CONDUCTING PRIVATE PILOT GROUND REFERENCE MANEUVERS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND INVERTED WITH THE CABIN AREA CRUSHED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED ADDITIONAL DAMAGE DUE TO A POST-CRASH FIRE. BOTH OCCUPANTS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE CESSNA?S VERTICAL STABILIZER AND LEFT ELEVATOR WAS FOUND 1158 FEET NORTHWEST (BEARING 349°) FROM THE CESSNA?S MAIN WRECKAGE. THE VERTICAL STABILIZOR APPEARED TO HAVE RUBBER TRANSFER FROM AN AIRCRAFT TIRE AND PAINT TRANSFER MARKS CONSISTENT WITH THE COLORATION OF THE OTHER AIRCRAFT. THE CESSNA ALSO HAD 'SLASH MARKS' IN THE INBOARD AILERON AND OUTBOARD FLAP ON LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THESE MARKS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE TYPE OF DAMAGE A SPINNING PROPELLOR WOULD INFLICT. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED WERE N327PA, A PA-28-181, OPERATED BY TRANSPAC AVIATION ACADEMY AND N2459K, A CESSNA 172S, OPERATED BY WESTWIND AVIATION. BOTH WESTWIND AVIATION AND TRANSPAC AVIATION ACADEMY HOLD PILOT SCHOOL CERTIFICATES ISSUED UNDER 14 CFR PART 141. A RECORDING OF RADAR DATA SHOWS TWO AIRCRAFT MANEUVERING AT APPROXIMATELY 700' AGL IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. BOTH AIRCRAFT APPEAR, INITIALLY TO BE MANEUVERING IN EAST/WEST, WEST/EAST DIRECTIONS. THE RADAR SHOWS BOTH AIRCRAFT TURNING TO THE SOUTH. AFTER THE SOUTHWARD TURN THE RADAR TRACKS CONVERGE. NEITHER AIRCRAFT WAS RECEIVING ATC SERVICES AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT. A WITNESS, WHO WAS CONDUCTING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION IN THE AREA, STATED THAT HE SAW TWO AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. HE STATED THAT A 'SPLIT-SECOND' AFTER OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT, "THEY SEPARATED, APPEARING TO HAVE COLLIDED, AND BEGAN SPINNING TOWARDS THE GROUND". A SECOND WITNESS, WHO WAS ALSO CONDUCTING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION IN THE AREA, STATED THAT HE HEARD THE PILOT OF THE N327PA, WHO WAS CONDUCTING THE PROFICIENCY CHECK, FREQUENTLY BROADCASTING POSITION REPORTS ON THE PRACTICE AREA FREQUENCY. THE PILOT OF N2459, WHO WAS CONDUCTING A FLIGHT LESSON, WAS A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND SPOKE WITH A BRITISH ACCENT. THE SECOND WITNESS DID NOT RECALL HEARING A PILOT WITH A BRITISH ACCENT ANNOUNCING ON THE PRACTICE AREA FREQUENCY. THIS FREQUENCY, 122.75, IS AN 'AGREED UPON' FREQUENCY UTILIZED BY MANY FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS WHO OPERATE REGULARLY IN THE PRACTICE AREAS NORTH OF PHOENIX, AZ. IT IS NOT PUBLISHED ON ANY FAA CHARTS, BUT IS POSTED ON THE ARIZONA FLIGHT TRAINING WORKGROUP WEBSITE (WWW.AFTW.ORG). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LOGBOOKS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THE FAA AT THIS TIME. AS A RESULT, THE PILOT'S COMPLIANCE WITH RECENCY OF EXPERIENCE AND FLIGHT CURRENCY REGULATIONS CANNOT BE DETERMINED. IN A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION, A CAMI REPRESENTATIVE (INITIALS CJ) STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LAST MEDICAL APPLICATION, HE REPORTED 1600 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT TIME, WITH 100 HOURS IN THE SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EXAM. THE MEDICAL WAS ISSUED ON MARCH 8, 2012. REPORTS FROM CAMI STATE THAT NONE OF THE OCCUPANTS OF EITHER AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES. ## 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 WPR13FA254](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA254), May 31, 2013: Cessna 172S (N2459K), Anthem, AZ, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: The failure of the pilots in both aircraft to maintain adequate visual lookout in a known training area where multiple aircraft frequently operated, which resulted in a midair collision. ## Other reports on N2459K (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20100922046759A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100922046759A), Sep 22, 2010: Cessna 172S (N2459K), Longmont, CO, Substantial damage. On 09/22/2010 at approx 0915 local time N2459K, a Cessna 172S was substanially damaged during a landing at Longmont, CO. The private pilot and 2 passengers on… 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.