- Date
- November 27, 1986, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Amarillo, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19861127080181A19861127080182A
- Case key
- 22219
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
The certificated stu plt of the citabria was making touch and go landings at the uncontrolled arpt when the accident occurred. He took off to the south flying a left hand traffic pattern. The base to final turn was made aprx 1/4 mile from the rwy in front of a Cessna 172 which was already on final. The acft collided aprx 15 to 25 ft AGL. The plt was demonstrating landings to his father and daughter and was attempting to touchdown near his father's car which resulting in a diversion of his attention. The plt had not been endorsed for solo flt.
The Cessna 172 entered the traffic pattern at the uncontrolled aprt for landing to the north. The plt noticed another acft departing to the south and made the decision to re-enter the traffic pattern for a south landing using a right hand pattern. The Cessna turned final aprx 1/4 mile from the rwy and continued the apch. At aprx 15 to 25 ft AGL the acft collided with the citabria which took off to the south when the Cessna initially entered the pattern. The plt of the citabria failed to maintain visual separation with the second acft.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N7709U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251709
- Airframe hours
- 2,171
- Engine
- Continental O-300-C, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth A. Crossland
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 29, 1986 · 69 hours before
- Airport
- 1E7 · Bufallo, runway 19, 5,500 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- N5508J
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1048-78
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William H. Butler, doing business as Western Plains Automotive
- Registered owner
- Knut G. Mjolhus
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 10, 1985 · 85 hours before
- Airport
- 1E7 · Bufallo, runway 19, 5,500 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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 N7709U
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 515 total · 66 in this make and model · 92 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N5508J
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 89 total · 34 in this make and model · 20 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AMA, 9 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.