# Incident 20160406004082I: Cessna 172S, Stow, MA, April 6, 2016 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 6, 2016, 18:00 local time - Place: Stow, MA - Damage: Minor damage - Collision: Midair collision - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 42.4370° N, 71.5056° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Stow, MA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4370&lon=-71.5056&mi=10 - Aircraft: N53569, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N53569) (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: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 8,375 total, 6,000 in this make and model, 125 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160406004082I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 4/7/2016 AT 17:16 (AFTER NORMAL OFFICE HOURS) THIS OFFICE RECEIVED AN E-MAIL FROM THE PORTLAND MAINE FSDO REPORTING A MIDAIR COLLISION BETWEEN TWO AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES WEST OF BED AT 1837Z INVOLVING N172JB (AIRCRAFT #2) AND N53569 (AIRCRAFT #1). N172JB LANDED SAFELY AT BAR HARBOR MAINE, N53569 LOCATION WAS UNKNOWN AT THAT TIME, HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT IS OPERATED BY EXECUTIVE FLYERS A 14 CFR 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL LOCATED AT BED. SUBSEQUENTLY THE PRELIMINARY NOTICE, FORM 8020-9 INDICATED THAT THE COLLISION OCCURRED ON 4/6/2016 AND WAS REPORTED THE NEXT DAY. ON 4/8/2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 07:45 INSPECTORS WERE DISPATCHED TO BED TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT AND ACCESS THE DAMAGE IF ANY. INSPECTION OF N53569 REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT SKIN ON THE BOTTOM OF THE AFT FUSELAGE JUST FORWARD OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER BETWEEN TWO BULKHEADS. N53569 A CESSNA 172 WAS BEING OPERATED AT THE TIME FOR STUDENT INSTRUCTION UNDER VFR RULES. THE STUDENT, A PRIVATE PILOT WAS TAKING PART OF INSTRUMENT CURRICULUM AND WAS WEARING AN INSTRUMENT HOOD (VIEW LIMITING DEVICE) WHILE BEING TRAINED BY A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE INSTRUCTOR IN N53569 REPORTED THAT THEY HAD REQUESTED A PRACTICE APPROACH WITH BOSTON APPROACH, AT THE TIME THEY WERE APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES WEST OF BED AT 3000 FEET. THEY WERE RECEIVING TRAFFIC ADVISORIES AND ON A FEW OCCASIONS APPROACH CALLED WITH TRAFFIC THAT HE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH EITHER ?TRAFFIC IN SIGHT? OR ?NO CONTACT? AS APPROPRIATE. AT ONE POINT THEY DID FEEL A JOLT THAT FELT LIKE IT COULD BE A BIRD STRIKE OR CONTACT WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT. THEY VERBALIZED IT TO EACH OTHER, LOOKED AROUND AND DID NOT OBSERVE A BIRD OR ANY OTHER AIRCRAFT. THEY DISMISSED IT AS TURBULENCE AND CONTINUED THEIR APPROACH AND LANDING AT BED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER THOUGHT REGARDING THE BUMP. AT NO TIME DID THEY HEAR THE OTHER AIRCRAFT ON THE FREQUENCY NOR DID ATC ISSUE ANY WARNING OF AIRCRAFT NEAR THEM. THIS INSPECTORS REVIEW OF ATC VOICE RECORDINGS AND RADAR DATA CONFIRMED THE REPORTED SCENARIO AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT #1 WAS LEVEL AT 3000 FEET ON A NORTH/NORTHEASTERLY HEADING. THE PILOT OF N172JB REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED VFR FROM 6B6 (MINUTE MAN-STOW) ENROUTE TO BHB (BAR HARBOR). HE STATED THAT HE WAS LISTENING TO BOSTON APPROACH. HIS INTENTION WAS TO GET FLIGHT FOLLOWING TO BHB BUT THE FREQUENCY WAS CONGESTED AND HE COULD NOT GET A WORD IN TO ATC. AT APPROXIMATELY 3000 FEET HE EXPERIENCED IMPACT FROM ABOVE HIS LEFT WING. HE STATED THAT THE STRENGTH OF THE IMPACT FELT MORE LIKE A TENNIS BALL HAD BEEN THROWN AT HIS AIRCRAFT RATHER THAN ANYTHING MORE SUBSTANTIAL LIKE METAL TO METAL CONTACT. HE REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND COMMENCED LEVEL FLIGHT TO ASSES THE SITUATION. HE CONCLUDED THAT HIS AIRCRAFT WAS IN NORMAL FLYING CONDITION. HE STATED THAT HE NOTED THE N NUMBER OF THE OTHER AIRCRAFT, THE COLOR AND OBSERVED TWO PEOPLE IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE OTHER AIRCRAFT WAS NOW AN ESTIMATED 300 FEET BELOW HIM AND CONTINUED ALONG IT?S WAY. HAVING CONCLUDED HIS AIRCRAFT WAS IN NORMAL FLYING CONDITION WITH NO APPARENT DAMAGE HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE HIS PLANED FLIGHT TO BHB. WHEN ASKED BY THIS INSPECTOR WHY HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE ALONG HIS PLANED FLIGHT HE STATED THAT HE REALIZED HE WAS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AND HAD SCARED HIMSELF VERY BADLY. HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES HE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE DEALING WITH HIGH DENSITY TRAFFIC, LANDING AT AN UNFAMILIAR AIRPORT. THAT GIVEN HIS PRESENT STATE OF MIND HE WANTED TO GET TO FAMILIAR TERRITORY IN WHICH HE FELT SAFE. HE STATED THAT ONCE ARRIVING AT BHB HE WAS MENTALLY SHAKEN AND NEEDED SOME TIME TO REGAIN HIS COMPOSURE. HE REPORTED THIS INCIDENT THE NEXT DAY 4/7/16 AT APPROXIMATELY 2115Z. ## Other aircraft in the event - N172JB, Cessna 172M: no report for this aircraft; [N172JB](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N172JB) is registered now 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.