- Date
- March 31, 1987, 09:58 local (17:58 UTC)
- Place
- Oakland, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious; on the ground: 1 serious
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA reports
- 19870331080402A19870331080401A
- Case key
- 15876
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
At 0954:54, plt of Piper PA-32RT, N39614, rprtd 9 mi north for lndg. Twr controller (north ctlr) told him to pln for a rgt entry to rwy 27R. At 0955:32, a student plt & instructor (CFI) in Cessna 172N, N75584, were clrd for tkof on rwy 33 with a 'right turn out' iaw noise abatement procedures. Aprx 2 min later, the PA-32 plt rprtd turning downwind over a prominent lnd mark. The twr ctlr replied that the PA-32 was 'not in sight' & clrd the plt to lnd on rwy 27R. No further x-missions were rcvd fm either acft. The 2 acft collided nrly head-on at about 1000' MSL, aprx 1 mi north of the dep endof rwy 33. The Cessna crashed into a pg&e facility & burned; a security guard was injured there. The PA-32 crashed in a nrby bay. Inv revealed twr psnl had not provided traffic adzy to either acft & that the brite radar was out-of-svc for routine maint. Arpt psnl had posted signs arnd the arpt with noise abatement procedures w/o FAA apvl, which effectively rdcd sepn btn depg/arrg acft. FAA tfc mgr did not order modification or rmvl of signs when he learned of their presence.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N75584
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75584
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Alameda Aero Club
- Registered owner
- Geiger, James M. Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- OAK · Metro Oakland Intl, runway 33, 3,366 × 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
- N39614
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300 (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R7885232
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Northstar Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MYV · Marysville, CA
- Airport
- OAK · Metro Oakland Intl, runway 27R, 5,453 × 150 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 N75584
- Age
- 25
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,250 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N39614
- Age
- 25
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,825 total · 115 in this make and model · 57 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.