FTW00FA083

See brief narrative for FTW00FA083A.

The pilot of the Cessna 208 reported that as he was taxiing for takeoff, he heard the pilot of the Cessna 182 make a radio call on the non-towered airport's common traffic advisory frequency asking for an airport advisory. The pilot of the Cessna 208 responded to the Cessna 182 pilot, stating that the winds were from 020 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 23 knots, and he was going to depart from runway 01. The Cessna 208 pilot reported that he did not hear any further radio calls from the Cessna 182. Upon reaching runway 01, the pilot of the Cessna 208 determined that there 'were no other planes in the pattern and nobody on the radio' and departed. He made his takeoff, climbed straight-out until the airplane reached 500 feet agl and then turned the airplane left onto the crosswind leg. He flew a normal left hand traffic pattern and leveled the airplane at 1,000 feet agl. He flew the downwind leg until the airplane was 'past mid-field,' and prior to turning left to a heading of 160 degrees on course for Hugo, he looked to the left to clear the area and 'was surprised to see an object coming closer.' He determined that the object 'was a high-wing Cessna coming from slightly above and behind [his] left wing-tip,' which was descending toward his cockpit. He reduced power, rolled right and nosed down. He stated that the Cessna 182 'turned left as in a normal x-wind to downwind turn [and] did not take evasive action.' He further stated that the Cessna 182 'flew over [his] cockpit and the 2 planes hit in a glancing blow.' Following the collision, the Cessna 182 impacted the ground and the Cessna 208 returned and landed on runway 01. The Cessna 182 was destroyed by impact forces and fire and no evidence of contact with the Cessna 208 was identified. Damage to the Cessna 208 was confined to the outboard portion of the left wing and left aileron, which were bent upwards approximately 60 degrees, 5 feet inboard from the wing-tip.

See narrative for FTW00FA083A.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 16, 2000, at 0748 central standard time, a mid-air collision occurred between a Cessna 182M, N91994, and a Cessna 208B, N9505B, while both airplanes were maneuvering near the McAlester Regional Airport, McAlester, Oklahoma. The Cessna 182 was destroyed, and the Cessna 208 sustained substantial damage. The non-instrument rated private pilot of the Cessna 182 sustained fatal injuries, and the airline transport rated pilot of the Cessna 208 was not injured. There were no passengers in either airplane. The Cessna 182, which was registered to the private pilot, was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight; the flight departed from Neosho, Missouri, with a planned destination of Carrizo Springs, Texas, and no flight plan was filed. After receiving an in-flight weather report of instrument meteorological conditions along his route of flight, the pilot of the Cessna 182 elected to divert to McAlester Regional Airport. The Cessna 208, which was registered to MartinAire Inc., of Carrollton, Texas, was operating under 14 CFR Part 135 as a non-scheduled cargo flight (MartinAire 633) for which an IFR flight plan was filed; the flight departed from the McAlester Regional Airport at 0745 and was en route to Hugo, Oklahoma. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

According to the pilot of the Cessna 208, as he was taxiing for takeoff, he heard the pilot of the Cessna 182 make a radio call on the non-towered airport's common traffic advisory frequency (123.0) asking for an airport advisory. The pilot of the Cessna 208 responded to the Cessna 182 pilot, stating that the winds were from 020 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 23 knots, and he was going to depart from runway 01. The Cessna 208 pilot reported that he did not hear any further radio calls from the Cessna 182. Upon reaching runway 01, the pilot of the Cessna 208 determined that there "were no other planes in the pattern and nobody on the radio," and announced his intentions to takeoff from runway 01. He made his takeoff, climbed straight-out until the airplane reached 500 feet agl and then turned the airplane left onto the crosswind leg. He maintained the climb until the airplane reached approximately 1,000 feet agl, leveled out, and turned left onto the downwind leg. He continued on the downwind leg until the airplane was "past mid-field." Prior to turning left to a heading of 160 degrees on course for Hugo, he looked to the left to clear the area and "was surprised to see an object coming closer." He determined that the object "was a high-wing Cessna coming from slightly above and behind [his] left wing-tip," which was descending toward his cockpit. He reduced power, rolled right and nosed down. He stated that the Cessna 182 "turned left as in a normal x-wind to downwind turn [and] did not take evasive action." He further stated that the Cessna 182 "flew over [his] cockpit and the 2 planes hit in a glancing blow." Subsequently, the Cessna 182 impacted the ground, and the Cessna 208 returned to the airport and landed on runway 01.

According to witnesses, prior to the collision the "Cessna 208 was in front with the Cessna 182 above and behind," and it appeared as if the "smaller plane accelerated toward the big plane." One witness reported that he observed "2 planes collide, touching wings." Following the collision the two witnesses observed a piece of the Cessna 182's structure, which they described as a wing, separate and, subsequently, the airplane entered a descent, began "spinning," and impacted the ground. They reported that the Cessna 208 continued flying and returned to the airport.

Personnel information

The pilot of the Cessna 182 was issued a private pilot certificate (airplane single-engine land) on June 26, 1963. He held a third class medical certificate dated October 6, 1997, which stipulated that he "must have available glasses for near vision," and that it was "valid for 12 months following the month examined." On the application for the medical certificate the pilot reported that the he had accumulated a total of 2,000 hours flight time.

The pilot of the Cessna 208 was issued an airline transport pilot certificate from the FAA on March 19, 1999. He was hired by MartinAire, Inc., on March 24, 1999, and satisfactorily completed his most recent airman competency/proficiency check on November 11, 1999. The pilot reported that he had accumulated a total of 4,251 hours at the time of the accident, of which 971 were in the make and model of the accident airplane. He was issued a first class medical certificate on February 14, 2000, with no limitations. Additionally, he holds an air traffic control tower operator's certificate.

Aircraft information

The 1969 high-wing, green on white, Cessna 182 was powered by a 230-horsepower Continental O-470-R engine and was equipped with a 2-bladed McCauley propeller. According to the airframe and engine logbooks the airplane underwent its most recent annual and 100 hour inspections, respectively, on October 30, 1999, at a total time of 2,864.9 hours. The tachometer was found at the accident site and indicated that the airplane had accumulated a total of 2,903.8 hours at the time of the accident.

The 1988 high-wing, blue on white, Cessna 208 was powered by a 600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114 turboprop engine, and was equipped with a 3-bladed McCauley propeller. The airframe and engine underwent their most recent inspections in accordance with the company's FAA Approved Aircraft Inspection Program (AAIP) on January 29, 2000. The airframe had accumulated a total of 7,725.4 hours and the engine had accumulated a total of 2,613.7 hours since major overhaul, at the time of the accident.

Aerodrome information

The McAlester Regional Airport is located 3 miles southwest of McAlester, Oklahoma. The airport's elevation is 770 feet msl, and it has one runway, runway 01/19 which is 5,602 feet long and 100 feet wide. Both runway 01 and runway 19 have designated left hand traffic patterns. The airport's common traffic advisory frequency is 123.0. The FAA McAlester Flight Service Station (FSS) is located on the airport. The FSS does not provide airport advisory service for traffic at the airport.

ATC communications

The following excerpt of communications occurred between an in-flight briefer (IF) at the McAlester FSS, and the pilot of the Cessna 182 (N91994) and the pilot of the Cessna 208 (MA633). The communications were recorded on the McAlester FSS briefer frequency of 122.65.

0727:33 N91994 McAlester radio, Cessna niner one niner niner four, over.

0727:52 IF November niner one niner niner four, McAlester radio.

0727:55 N91994 McAlester, niner niner four ah, we're inbound, we're southeast uh, of ya'alls uh, station, I'm headed uh, for uh, CZT uh, Carrizo Springs and I'll be refueling in Corsicana, CRS, I'm wondering wha, what that weather is uh, uh, south, over.

0728:45 IF November niner niner four uh, roger sir and uh, we have airmets out through, through about the Waco area for occasional moderate turbulence below eight thousand feet, and then from uh, say about Paris on down there's an airmet out for IFR conditions till one seven zero zero zulu, and uh, just checking out the uh, weather for ya uh, ceilings uh, down around the uh, Dallas-Fort Worth area are anywhere from about eight hundred feet, let's make that six hundred feet up to about a one thousand four hundred feet and your visibilities are anywhere from two and one half miles up to about five miles and uh, down at Corsicana, they're currently reporting and this was a special that came out at one four uh, winds one two zero at four, visibility four, mist, and they've come up to a ceiling of one thousand one hundred overcast, temperature's one eight, dewpoint i