- Date
- April 9, 1990, 18:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Gadsden, AL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 7 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19900409011582A19900409011581A
- Case key
- 8121
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Inadequate visual lookout by the pilots of both aircraft, which resulted in their failure to see-and-avoid oncoming traffic. A factor related to the accident was: the sun's glare, which restricted the vision of the Cessna 172 pilot.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Drg dep fm rwy 24 with an IFR clnc, an atlantic southeast airline flt (Embraer EMB-120, N217AS) entered a left turn to a hdg of east & climbed to an assigned alt of 5000' MSL. Before radar contact was established with ATC, the EMB-120 converged with a cap Cessna 172, N99501. The Cessna was hdg westbound toward the setting sun. Subsequently, a head-on collision occurred about 2-1/2 mi south of the arpt. Drg impact, the rgt horizontal stabilizer of the EMB-120 sepd from the acft, but it contd flying to a safe lndg. The Cessna, however, entered an unctld dscnt & crashed. A witness, who saw the collision, did not note any evasive action by either acft before impact. The crew of the EMB-120 rprtd that they saw the Cessna moments before impact. The capt of the EMB-120 said he took immediate evasive action by 'pushing' the nose down, but was unable to avoid a collision. A flt attendant on the EMB-120 recalled a 'thump' before the acft started a dscnt.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N217AS
- Reported as
- Embraer EMB-120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 120011
- Engines
- P&W PW118, 1,800 horsepower, turbo propP&W PW118, 1,800 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Atlantic Southeast
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- GAD · Gadsden, AL
- Destination
- ATL · Atlanta, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- runway 24, 6,803 × 150 ft
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
- Registration
- N99501
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276455
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Civil Air Patrol Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GAD · Gadsden, AL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N217AS
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,352 total · 903 in this make and model · 5,894 as pilot in command · 106 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N99501
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Invalid Medical for flight
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 224 total · 190 in this make and model · 213 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GAD, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.