What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 25, 2020 at 0010 eastern daylight time (EDT), N8125U, a 1964 Cessna 172, and N777CM, a 1964 aero commander, struck each other after landing on the same runway, 21L-3R, but from different directions at Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (pdk). At the time of the accident, the pdk air traffic control (ATC) tower was closed. The weather was clear with approximately 5 knot winds coming from the east. N8125U was operating as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 flight and N777CM was operating as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 135 flight for privacy data omitted. At the time of the event, each aircraft only had one pilot on board and no injuries were reported.
The pilot of N8125U stated that he knew that pdk?s air traffic control tower would not be manned that night so as he approached, he switched to the runway lights frequency and clicked his push to talk switch the appropriate amount of times and the runway lights successfully illuminated to high intensity. He then switched frequencies to make routine calls. He states that all airplane outside lights were on as he approached and landed on runway 21R. The pilot also claims that he saw green lights at the end of the runway indicating the correct direction to land. While landing, he describes seeing a tiny white light moving towards him extremely fast. Seconds later he hears a bang and the airplane veers to the right. The pilot initially believes that he had hit and killed someone on a motorcycle racing on the runway. He initiated emergency procedures and taxied to his parking spot. Once parked, an airport security guard arrived and told N8125U?s pilot that he had hit another airplane.
The security guard states that he witnessed two planes land on runway 21L-3R from different directions. N777CM landed on approach 3R and N8125U landed on approach 21L. From his point of view when the airplanes landed, he could not tell if the planes had hit each other but upon inspection of N8125U, he found damage to the right wing and N777CM had scrape marks underneath it?s right wing. The security guard was monitoring radio traffic during this time and states that he never heard N8125U?s pilot transmit that he was landing on 21L.
The pilot of N777CM stated that as he approached pdk, he was communicating with a helicopter that was landing 3R so he followed it in. He claims that he made all the appropriate radio calls on 120.90 and announced each leg. After landing 3R, he saw lights at the end of the runway but could not determine what they were. Once he realized that the lights were another airplane that had landed on runway 21L, it was too late and both airplanes had to swerve to avoid a straight on collision. N777CM?s pilot stated that he originally didn?t think that they had hit each other but upon inspection, found scuff marks and a dented flap on the right wing. Additionally, the pilot stated that he had not heard any other pdk traffic be sides the helicopter.
Upon inspection, N8125U?s damage included the right wing tip being ripped open, which caused the right hand navigation light to be torn off and the first outboard wing rib to bend. N777CM?s damage showed paint scrap marks which ran along the width and underside of the right wing to the inboard flap?s outboard hinge and dented the inboard flap. Found inside N777CM?s flap hinge, was curled up metal from N8125U?s wing tip.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 25, 2020 AT 0010 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), N8125U, A 1964 CESSNA 172, AND N777CM, A 1964 AERO COMMANDER, STRUCK EACH OTHER AFTER LANDING ON THE SAME RUNWAY, 21L-3R, BUT FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AT DEKALB-PEACHTREE AIRPORT (PDK). AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PDK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) TOWER WAS CLOSED. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH APPROXIMATELY 5 KNOT WINDS COMING FROM THE EAST. N8125U WAS OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 FLIGHT AND N777CM WAS OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 FLIGHT FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT, EACH AIRCRAFT ONLY HAD ONE PILOT ON BOARD AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
THE PILOT OF N8125U STATED THAT HE KNEW THAT PDK?S AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER WOULD NOT BE MANNED THAT NIGHT SO AS HE APPROACHED, HE SWITCHED TO THE RUNWAY LIGHTS FREQUENCY AND CLICKED HIS PUSH TO TALK SWITCH THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIMES AND THE RUNWAY LIGHTS SUCCESSFULLY ILLUMINATED TO HIGH INTENSITY. HE THEN SWITCHED FREQUENCIES TO MAKE ROUTINE CALLS. HE STATES THAT ALL AIRPLANE OUTSIDE LIGHTS WERE ON AS HE APPROACHED AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 21R. THE PILOT ALSO CLAIMS THAT HE SAW GREEN LIGHTS AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY INDICATING THE CORRECT DIRECTION TO LAND. WHILE LANDING, HE DESCRIBES SEEING A TINY WHITE LIGHT MOVING TOWARDS HIM EXTREMELY FAST. SECONDS LATER HE HEARS A BANG AND THE AIRPLANE VEERS TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT INITIALLY BELIEVES THAT HE HAD HIT AND KILLED SOMEONE ON A MOTORCYCLE RACING ON THE RUNWAY. HE INITIATED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND TAXIED TO HIS PARKING SPOT. ONCE PARKED, AN AIRPORT SECURITY GUARD ARRIVED AND TOLD N8125U?S PILOT THAT HE HAD HIT ANOTHER AIRPLANE.
THE SECURITY GUARD STATES THAT HE WITNESSED TWO PLANES LAND ON RUNWAY 21L-3R FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. N777CM LANDED ON APPROACH 3R AND N8125U LANDED ON APPROACH 21L. FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW WHEN THE AIRPLANES LANDED, HE COULD NOT TELL IF THE PLANES HAD HIT EACH OTHER BUT UPON INSPECTION OF N8125U, HE FOUND DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING AND N777CM HAD SCRAPE MARKS UNDERNEATH IT?S RIGHT WING. THE SECURITY GUARD WAS MONITORING RADIO TRAFFIC DURING THIS TIME AND STATES THAT HE NEVER HEARD N8125U?S PILOT TRANSMIT THAT HE WAS LANDING ON 21L.
THE PILOT OF N777CM STATED THAT AS HE APPROACHED PDK, HE WAS COMMUNICATING WITH A HELICOPTER THAT WAS LANDING 3R SO HE FOLLOWED IT IN. HE CLAIMS THAT HE MADE ALL THE APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS ON 120.90 AND ANNOUNCED EACH LEG. AFTER LANDING 3R, HE SAW LIGHTS AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT THEY WERE. ONCE HE REALIZED THAT THE LIGHTS WERE ANOTHER AIRPLANE THAT HAD LANDED ON RUNWAY 21L, IT WAS TOO LATE AND BOTH AIRPLANES HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID A STRAIGHT ON COLLISION. N777CM?S PILOT STATED THAT HE ORIGINALLY DIDN?T THINK THAT THEY HAD HIT EACH OTHER BUT UPON INSPECTION, FOUND SCUFF MARKS AND A DENTED FLAP ON THE RIGHT WING. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD ANY OTHER PDK TRAFFIC BE SIDES THE HELICOPTER.
UPON INSPECTION, N8125U?S DAMAGE INCLUDED THE RIGHT WING TIP BEING RIPPED OPEN, WHICH CAUSED THE RIGHT HAND NAVIGATION LIGHT TO BE TORN OFF AND THE FIRST OUTBOARD WING RIB TO BEND. N777CM?S DAMAGE SHOWED PAINT SCRAP MARKS WHICH RAN ALONG THE WIDTH AND UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT WING TO THE INBOARD FLAP?S OUTBOARD HINGE AND DENTED THE INBOARD FLAP. FOUND INSIDE N777CM?S FLAP HINGE, WAS CURLED UP METAL FROM N8125U?S WING TIP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.