- Date
- August 24, 1991, 11:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place
- Watertown, SD
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19910824036561A19910824036562A
- Case key
- 15163
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
Attempted formation flying with N4535E by the pilot of N16098. Factors associated with the collision were: nonperformance of preflight planning, and failure to follow procedures and directives by the pilot of N16098.
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
Two airplanes collided when the pilot of an overtaking airplane N16908 attempted to join and fly formation with the lead airplane N4535E. The pilot of the lead airplane was not aware of the overtaking airplane. Both pilots performed emergency landings.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N16098
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 150-73475
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ralph Hurlbert
- Departed
- 8D7 · Clark, SD
- Destination
- ATY · Watertown, SD
- Airport
- NONE · Unk
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
- N4535E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 11CC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11CC-243
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1B, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Colman L. Wagner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 8D7 · Clark, SD
- Airport
- NONE · Unk
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 N16098
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 467 total · 467 in this make and model · 437 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N4535E
- Age
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,896 total · 22 in this make and model · 1,843 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Observed at
- ATW, 8 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.
Other investigations on N16098 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.