- Date
- August 20, 2022, 09:07 local (13:07 UTC)
- Place
- Bealeton, VA · On runway 20
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Defining events
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision during takeoff/landTakeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA reports
- 20220820020112A20220820020162A
- Case key
- 105776
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
The pilot of the departing airplane’s failure to see and avoid the landing airplane before takeoff, resulting in a collision with the landing airplane. Contributing was the airport’s failure to encourage pilots to use radios for traffic deconfliction when equipped.
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.
N55267 · Boeing A75N1
N52652 · Boeing A75N1
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.
N55267 · Boeing A75N1
N52652 · Boeing A75N1
Analysis
The vintage biplanes were operating at a private airport that provided airshows and airplane rides to the public. The pilot of the departing airplane taxied for takeoff and was number two behind another airplane that was taxiing ahead of him. At the same time, the pilot of the landing airplane was in the traffic pattern, preparing for landing. Local procedures required landing airplanes to make a low approach to signal airplanes taking off that a landing was imminent; the procedure was implemented because some airplanes at the airport were not equipped with radios. Landing aircraft had the right-of-way over aircraft taking off. The pilot of the landing airplane reported that he performed the required low approach, completed the traffic pattern, and proceeded onto final approach for landing. At the same time, the pilot of the departing airplane taxied onto the runway for takeoff and did not see the low approach by the landing airplane or his subsequent pattern. The pilot of the landing airplane did not see the departing airplane on the runway and landed on top of the departing airplane before the departing airplane became airborne. Both airplanes sustained substantial damage, the two pilots had minor injuries, and two passengers were not injured. Although both airplanes were equipped with radios, neither pilot was making radio calls; instead, they relied on the established visual traffic separation procedures only. A review of the airport’s standard operating procedures revealed that they did not address the use of radios or encourage pilots to use them if equipped. Following the accident, the airport made several modifications to their local procedures including recommending that all pilots of aircraft equipped with radios use them while in the traffic pattern; and moving the holding area short of the runway to another location that afforded better visibility of the traffic pattern.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N55267
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-2310
- Built
- 1940
- Airframe hours
- 2,487
- Engine
- Continental W670-6A, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 2022 · 60 hours before
- Airport
- 3VA3 · Flying Circus Aerodrome, runway 20, 2,000 × 150 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- N52652
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-4328
- Built
- 1942
- Airframe hours
- 3,895
- Engine
- Lycoming R680-13, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 15, 2022 · 9 hours before
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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 N55267
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 13, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,904 total · 3,730 in this make and model · 5,864 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N52652
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 26, 2022
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,900 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KHWY, 2 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KHWY 201255Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM SCT005 SCT090 22/21 A3018 RMK AO2 T02210206
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 31, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 22.4 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.
Other investigations on N55267 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.