- Date
- November 27, 2015, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Farmington, DE
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53488Boeing A75N1(PT17)N201HKMooney M20J
- Defining events
- Landing-landing roll: Ground collisionLanding-landing roll: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA reports
- 20151127020112A20151127020122A
- Case key
- 92396
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
Both pilots' failure to maintain visual separation during landing at an uncontrolled airport. Contributing to the accident was the Mooney pilot's lack of prompt evasive action once the biplane had been spotted on the same runway. In addition, the biplane pilots failure to ensure a clear runway.
Both pilots' failure to maintain visual separation during landing at non-towered airport. Contributing to the accident was the Mooney pilot's lack of prompt evasive action once the biplane had been spotted on the same runway.
Findings · 8
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.
N53488 · Boeing A75N1(PT17)
N201HK · Mooney M20J
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.
N53488 · Boeing A75N1(PT17)
N201HK · Mooney M20J
Analysis
According to the pilots of the Mooney and the Boeing (Biplane), they arrived at the uncontrolled field and landed on opposing sides of the runway at approximately the same time. The Mooney entered the left downwind pattern for a landing on runway 34. He stated he made radio calls over the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency at each leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot of the Biplane entered the left 45 degree entry for downwind for runway 16. He stated he was not equipped with radios, but scanned the area for traffic and did not see the any other aircraft in the pattern. The Biplane landed on runway 16 and proceeded to roll out. The Mooney landed on runway 34 and came to a stop when he saw the Biplane on the runway. According to the pilot of the Mooney, he first saw the Biplane on landing roll at the opposite side of the runway and thought he was going to stop. When it appeared that the Biplane was not going to stop, he gave it full power and attempted to take evasive action to the left. The pilot of the Biplane did not see the other airplane until it passed under his right wing and he felt the subsequent collision. Both pilots reported they did not see the other airplane in the pattern or during landing. Neither pilot reported any mechanical problems with their respective airplanes. Federal Aviation Administration Inspectors arrived on scene and confirmed substantial damage to both airplanes. The Mooney tail assembly was partially detached from the fuselage and bent 25 degrees to the left. The bottom right wing spar of the Biplane was damaged.
According to the pilots of the Mooney and the Boeing tail-wheel biplane, they arrived at the non-towered airport and entered the traffic patterns for opposing sides of the 3,588-foot-long by 37-foot-wide runway at approximately the same time. The Mooney entered the pattern on a left downwind for runway 34. The pilot stated he made radio calls over the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency at each leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot of the biplane entered the left 45-degree entry for downwind to runway 16 because winds appeared to favor that runway. The biplane was not equipped with a two-way radio. As the pilot of the Mooney touched down on runway 34, he saw the biplane on the opposite end. The Mooney pilot stopped his airplane on the runway about 300 feet from the biplane, and observed the biplane continue to taxi towards him. When it appeared that the biplane was not going to stop, he applied power and took take evasive action to the left. The pilot of the biplane had limited forward visibility due to its nose high, tail-wheel configuration, and he was unable to "s-turn" the biplane as he taxied due to the runway's narrow width. He did not did not see the Mooney until it passed under his right wing and they collided. Neither pilot reported any mechanical problems with their respective airplanes. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined both airplane's after the accident noted that each had been substantially damaged during the collision. The Mooney tail assembly was partially detached from the fuselage and bent 25 degrees to the left, while the bottom right wing spar of the biplane was damaged.
Factual narrative
According to the pilots of the Mooney and the Boeing tail-wheel biplane, they arrived at the uncontrolled field and landed on opposing sides of the runway at approximately the same time. The Mooney entered the pattern on a left downwind for runway 34. The pilot stated he made radio calls over the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency at each leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot of the biplane entered the left 45 degree entry for downwind to runway 16 because winds appeared to favor that runway. The biplane was not equipped with a two-way radio. He scanned the area for traffic and did not see any other aircraft. As the pilot of the Mooney touched down on runway 34, he saw the biplane on the opposite end. The Mooney pilot stopped his airplane on the runway and observed the biplane continue to taxi towards him. When it appeared that the biplane was not going to stop, he applied power and took take evasive action to the left. The pilot of the biplane had limited forward visibility due to his nose high tail-wheel configuration. He did not did not see the Mooney until it passed under his right wing and they collided. Neither pilot reported any mechanical problems with their respective airplanes. Federal Aviation Administration Inspectors arrived on scene and confirmed substantial damage to both airplanes. The Mooney tail assembly was partially detached from the fuselage and bent 25 degrees to the left. The bottom right wing spar of the biplane was damaged.
According to the pilots of the Mooney and the Boeing tail-wheel biplane, they arrived at the non-towered airport and entered the traffic patterns for opposing sides of the 3,588-foot-long by 37-foot-wide runway at approximately the same time. The Mooney entered the pattern on a left downwind for runway 34. The pilot stated he made radio calls over the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency at each leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot of the biplane entered the left 45-degree entry for downwind to runway 16 because winds appeared to favor that runway. The biplane was not equipped with a two-way radio. As the pilot of the Mooney touched down on runway 34, he saw the biplane on the opposite end. The Mooney pilot stopped his airplane on the runway about 300 feet from the biplane, and observed the biplane continue to taxi towards him. When it appeared that the biplane was not going to stop, he applied power and took take evasive action to the left. The pilot of the biplane had limited forward visibility due to its nose high, tail-wheel configuration, and he was unable to "s-turn" the biplane as he taxied due to the runway's narrow width. He did not did not see the Mooney until it passed under his right wing and they collided. Neither pilot reported any mechanical problems with their respective airplanes. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined both airplane's after the accident noted that each had been substantially damaged during the collision. The Mooney tail assembly was partially detached from the fuselage and bent 25 degrees to the left, while the bottom right wing spar of the biplane was damaged.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N53488
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1(PT17) (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-2284
- Built
- 1942
- Airframe hours
- 1,789.44
- Engine
- Continental W-670-6N, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Allen Chorman & Son, LLC
- Registered owner
- Allen Chorman & Son, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 26, 2015
- Departed
- Milford, DE
- Destination
- D74 · Farmington, DE
- Airport
- D74 · Chorman, runway 16, 3,588 × 37 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
- N201HK
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0177
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 3,019.3
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- American Industrial And Marine Electroni
- Registered owner
- American Industrial And Marine Electroni
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 17, 2015
- Departed
- D74 · Farmington, DE
- Destination
- D74 · Farmington, DE
- Airport
- D74 · Chorman, runway 34, 3,588 × 37 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N53488
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 19,904 total · 50 in this make and model · 19,750 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N201HK
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 28, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,463 total · 920 in this make and model · 4,385 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- GED, 15 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 11, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
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 N53488 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.