CEN09IA161

NTSB incident investigation · Piper PA28 · Fairmont, NE · February 7, 2009

Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal report
Date
February 7, 2009, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
Place
Fairmont, NE
Injuries
2 uninjured
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N55502Piper PA28N5757GCessna 150
Defining events
Approach-VFR pattern final: Midair collisionApproach-VFR pattern final: Midair collision
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 23, 2010
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA Lincoln FSDO
Case key
73341

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.

On this page

Probable cause

Both pilots' failure to see and avoid the other aircraft.

Both pilots' failure to see and avoid the other aircraft.

Findings · 4

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

N55502 · Piper PA28

Action: lack of actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotPiper PA-28-180: 7 casesAll aircraft: 792 casesProbable cause

N5757G · Cessna 150

Action: lack of actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilotCessna 150K: 1 caseAll aircraft: 792 casesProbable cause
Attention/monitoring: monitoring other aircraftPersonnel issues › Psychological · Student/instructed pilotCessna 150K: 1 caseAll aircraft: 231 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

N55502 · Piper PA28

N5757G · Cessna 150

Midair collisionApproach-VFR pattern finalCessna 150K: 1 caseAll aircraft: 196 casesDefining event

Analysis

The pilot of N55502, a low-wing airplane, said that he was on final approach at about 400 feet above ground level when he felt a mild jolt and heard a noise. The pilot discovered a flat tire immediately after touchdown, but taxied to the ramp in that condition. The pilot said he was not aware of the collision until after the postflight inspections of both airplanes. The pilot of the other airplane, N5757G, a high-wing airplane, said that he saw the other airplane immediately after the collision and that he landed second and followed N55502 to the ramp. N55502 sustained minor damage to the left main gear wheel pant and left main tire. N5757G sustained minor damage to both propeller tips and superficial damage to the top of the right wing. Both pilots said that they had flown a standard traffic pattern and that they had been making position announcements on the multicom radio frequency of 122.900.

The pilot of N55502, a low-wing airplane, said that he was on final approach at about 400 feet above ground level when he felt a mild jolt and heard a noise. The pilot discovered a flat tire immediately after touchdown, but taxied to the ramp in that condition. The pilot said he was not aware of the collision until after the postflight inspections of both airplanes. The pilot of the other airplane, N5757G, a high-wing airplane, said that he saw the other airplane immediately after the collision and that he landed second and followed N55502 to the ramp. N55502 sustained minor damage to the left main gear wheel pant and left main tire. N5757G sustained minor damage to both propeller tips and superficial damage to the top of the right wing. Both pilots said that they had flown a standard traffic pattern and that they had been making position announcements on the multicom radio frequency of 122.900.

Factual narrative

On February 7, 2009, about 1400 central standard time, a Piper 28-180, N55502, registered to Blue Valley Flying Club, Inc., collided in-flight with a Cessna 150K, N5757G, registered to a private individual, when both airplanes were on final approach to landing on runway 35 at Fairmont State Airfield (FMZ), Fairmont, Nebraska. There were no injuries to the two pilots, who were the only persons onboard, and both airplanes sustained minor damage Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for either of the two 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flights. N55502 had departed Hebron Municipal Airport (HJH) Hebron Nebraska and N5757G had departed from Crete Municipal Airport (CEK) Crete, Nebraska. The pilot of N55502, the low wing airplane, was on final approach at about 400 feet above ground level (AGL) when he felt a mild jolt and heard a noise. The pilot discovered a flat tire immediately after touchdown, but taxied to the ramp in that condition. N55502 said he was not aware of the collision until after the post flight inspections of both airplanes. The pilot of N5757G, the high wing airplane, said he saw the other airplane immediately after the collision. He landed second and followed N55502 to the ramp. N55502 sustained minor damage to the left main gear wheel pant and left main tire. N5757G sustained minor damage to both propeller tips and superficial damage to the top of the right wing. Both pilots said they had flown a standard traffic pattern. Both pilots said they had been making position announcements on the multicom radio frequency of 122.900.

On February 7, 2009, about 1400 central standard time, a Piper 28-180, N55502, registered to Blue Valley Flying Club, Inc., collided in-flight with a Cessna 150K, N5757G, registered to a private individual, when both airplanes were on final approach to landing on runway 35 at Fairmont State Airfield (FMZ), Fairmont, Nebraska. There were no injuries to the two pilots, who were the only persons on board, and both airplanes sustained minor damage Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for either of the two 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flights. N55502 had departed Hebron Municipal Airport (HJH) Hebron Nebraska and N5757G had departed from Crete Municipal Airport (CEK) Crete, Nebraska. The pilot of N55502, the low wing airplane, was on final approach at about 400 feet above ground level (AGL) when he felt a mild jolt and heard a noise. The pilot discovered a flat tire immediately after touchdown, but taxied to the ramp in that condition. N55502 said he was not aware of the collision until after the post flight inspections of both airplanes. The pilot of N5757G, the high wing airplane, said he saw the other airplane immediately after the collision. He landed second and followed N55502 to the ramp. N55502 sustained minor damage to the left main gear wheel pant and left main tire. N5757G sustained minor damage to both propeller tips and superficial damage to the top of the right wing. Both pilots said they had flown a standard traffic pattern. Both pilots said they had been making position announcements on the multicom radio frequency of 122.900.

Aircraft · 2

Registration
N55502
Reported as
Piper PA28 (180)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-7305401
Engine
Lycoming O360, reciprocating
Damage
Minor damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
HJH · Hebron, NE
Destination
KFMZ · Fairmont, NE
Airport
KFMZ · Fairmont State Airfield, runway 35, 4,316 × 75 ft, asphalt

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
N5757G
Reported as
Cessna 150 (K)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15071257
Airframe hours
3,343
Engine
Continental O200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Minor damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility
Last inspection
Annual · September 1, 2008 · 20 hours before
Departed
CEK · Crete, NE
Destination
KFMZ · Fairmont, NE
Airport
KFMZ · Fairmont State Airfield, runway 35, 4,316 × 75 ft, asphalt

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 N55502
Age
80
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
October 26, 2007
Seat
Left
Flight hours
2,601 total · 500 in this make and model · 2,556 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Role
Student pilot, aircraft N5757G
Age
59
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
January 7, 2009
Seat
Left
Flight hours
56 total · 54 in this make and model · 15 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
320° at 7 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
59 °F, dew point 30 °F
Altimeter
30.05 inHg
Observed at
KLNK, 40 nm away

Docket · 8

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 24, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 2

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.