What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Around noon local time on 02/01/2025, legend (AL3) privacy data omitted was landing on Cable Airport's runway 24 in Upland, CA in visual meteorlogical condictions. During landing rollout, that aircraft was succeeded by erco 415-C privacy data omitted, an aircraft landing from final approach. Before privacy data omitted was able to vacate the runway from landing rollout, privacy data omitted closed the distance between the aircraft during its own landing rollout, and impacted privacy data omitted. The left wing of the erco sustained damage and deformity to its left wingtip, left wing upper surface and left flap, while the legend sustained damage to its rudder, vertical stabilizer, and empenage. The pilot of privacy data omittedstated that he was the only occupant of that aircraft during the event, and the pilot of privacy data omitted identified himself and an instructor as the two occupants of nprivacy data omitted. Neither pilot reported any injuries by an aircraft occupant, and neither pilot identified any injuries as a result of the event when questioned by the inspector in charge of the accident investigation. The pilot of the erco stated "I heard a yellow [legend] announce that it was on final... I should’ve been sure to hear the [legend]announce that it was clear of the runway. But falsely assuming that I had the correct spacing , I proceeded to land on my final approach... [I] was assuming that the [legend] was clear of the runway and I could just ride this out and slowly continue my landing... I have admitted I made numerous mistakes on this day. And upon reflection I should have definitely done a 'go around.'" A video of the event was captured and reviewed, which depicts the erco attempting to land while the legend is rolling out on runway 24; the erco touched down on the runway, began landing rollout, impacted the legend, skid straight ahead into a left-facing orientation, and came to a stop on the runway. The legend was impacted in the course of making a left turn off of the runway onto the adjacent taxiway, and completed that exit after sustaining impact to its empenage. The legend then stopped on the taxiway. The pilot of the legend stated "I was exiting the runway, I was hit in the rear by an Ercoupe model 415C , privacy data omitted." Photograph evidence captured by the pilots, witnesses, and airport management established that damage to flight control surfaces resulted from the event, causing it to be categorized as an accident. A review of both aircrafts' records determined that both aircraft appeared to be in compiance with 14 CFR. A review of pilots' qualifications determined that both pilots appeared to be qualified to exercise their respective pilot privileges at the time of the event. privacy data omitted Appears to have had right-of-way during the event, per the description above and 14 CFR 91.113(g).
As the FAA filed it
AROUND NOON LOCAL TIME ON 02/01/2025, LEGEND (AL3) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS LANDING ON CABLE AIRPORT'S RUNWAY 24 IN UPLAND, CA IN VISUAL METEORLOGICAL CONDICTIONS. DURING LANDING ROLLOUT, THAT AIRCRAFT WAS SUCCEEDED BY ERCO 415-C ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN AIRCRAFT LANDING FROM FINAL APPROACH. BEFORE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ABLE TO VACATE THE RUNWAY FROM LANDING ROLLOUT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CLOSED THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT DURING ITS OWN LANDING ROLLOUT, AND IMPACTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE LEFT WING OF THE ERCO SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND DEFORMITY TO ITS LEFT WINGTIP, LEFT WING UPPER SURFACE AND LEFT FLAP, WHILE THE LEGEND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO ITS RUDDER, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND EMPENAGE. THE PILOT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STATED THAT HE WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THAT AIRCRAFT DURING THE EVENT, AND THE PILOT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AND AN INSTRUCTOR AS THE TWO OCCUPANTS OF N^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. NEITHER PILOT REPORTED ANY INJURIES BY AN AIRCRAFT OCCUPANT, AND NEITHER PILOT IDENTIFIED ANY INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE EVENT WHEN QUESTIONED BY THE INSPECTOR IN CHARGE OF THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION. THE PILOT OF THE ERCO STATED "I HEARD A YELLOW [LEGEND] ANNOUNCE THAT IT WAS ON FINAL... I SHOULD’VE BEEN SURE TO HEAR THE [LEGEND]ANNOUNCE THAT IT WAS CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY. BUT FALSELY ASSUMING THAT I HAD THE CORRECT SPACING , I PROCEEDED TO LAND ON MY FINAL APPROACH... [I] WAS ASSUMING THAT THE [LEGEND] WAS CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY AND I COULD JUST RIDE THIS OUT AND SLOWLY CONTINUE MY LANDING... I HAVE ADMITTED I MADE NUMEROUS MISTAKES ON THIS DAY. AND UPON REFLECTION I SHOULD HAVE DEFINITELY DONE A 'GO AROUND.'" A VIDEO OF THE EVENT WAS CAPTURED AND REVIEWED, WHICH DEPICTS THE ERCO ATTEMPTING TO LAND WHILE THE LEGEND IS ROLLING OUT ON RUNWAY 24; THE ERCO TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY, BEGAN LANDING ROLLOUT, IMPACTED THE LEGEND, SKID STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO A LEFT-FACING ORIENTATION, AND CAME TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. THE LEGEND WAS IMPACTED IN THE COURSE OF MAKING A LEFT TURN OFF OF THE RUNWAY ONTO THE ADJACENT TAXIWAY, AND COMPLETED THAT EXIT AFTER SUSTAINING IMPACT TO ITS EMPENAGE. THE LEGEND THEN STOPPED ON THE TAXIWAY. THE PILOT OF THE LEGEND STATED "I WAS EXITING THE RUNWAY, I WAS HIT IN THE REAR BY AN ERCOUPE MODEL 415C , ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^." PHOTOGRAPH EVIDENCE CAPTURED BY THE PILOTS, WITNESSES, AND AIRPORT MANAGEMENT ESTABLISHED THAT DAMAGE TO FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES RESULTED FROM THE EVENT, CAUSING IT TO BE CATEGORIZED AS AN ACCIDENT. A REVIEW OF BOTH AIRCRAFTS' RECORDS DETERMINED THAT BOTH AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE IN COMPIANCE WITH 14 CFR. A REVIEW OF PILOTS' QUALIFICATIONS DETERMINED THAT BOTH PILOTS APPEARED TO BE QUALIFIED TO EXERCISE THEIR RESPECTIVE PILOT PRIVILEGES AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPEARS TO HAVE HAD RIGHT-OF-WAY DURING THE EVENT, PER THE DESCRIPTION ABOVE AND 14 CFR 91.113(G).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.