- Date
- August 7, 1990, 14:46 local (19:46 UTC)
- Place
- Elmendorf, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1466VCessna 172MUSAFNorthrop T-38A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900807031562A
- Case key
- 23030
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
Inadequate visual lookout by both pilots in the T-38 and by the instructor pilot (CFI) in the Cessna 172.
Inadequate visual lookout by the instructor pilot (CFI) in the Cessna 172 and by both pilots in the T-38.
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
A USAF T-38 & a Cessna 172 collided at 4200' MSL. Drg impact, the vertical stabilizer of the T-38 struck the rgt side of the 172'S eng. The eng sepd & the 172 plts lndd on a road. The T-38 dscndd out of ctl, but the T-38 plts ejected safely. Bfr impact, the student in the 172 (with a vision restricting device) & his instructor (CFI) were practicing air work mnvrs. The tandem seat T-38A (with an instructor plt in the back seat & a rated plt in the fnt seat) were being vectored for an ILS rwy 33 apch to kelly afb. The T-38'S spd was about 330 KTS; the spd limitation of 250 KTS had been waived for T-38 acft, due to the acft's lack of controllability at the lower spd. The 172 was equipped with a transponder, but it was not equipped with mode c. the T-38 was equipped with a mode c transponder. Both acft were in radio ctc with the san antonio south dep ctlr, but abt 3 min bfr the collision, radar svc with the 172 had been trmtd.
A USAF T-38 & a Cessna 172 collided at 4200' MSL. Drg impact, the vertical stabilizer of the T-38 struck the rgt side of the 172'S eng. The eng sepd & the 172 plts lndd on a road. The T-38 dscndd out of ctl, but the T-38 plts ejected safely. Bfr impact, the student in the 172 (with a vision restricting device) & his instructor (CFI) were practicing air work mnvrs. The tandem seat T-38A (with an instructor plt in the back seat & a rated plt in the fnt seat) were being vectored for an ILS rwy 33 apch to kelly afb. The T-38'S spd was about 330 KTS; the spd limitation of 250 KTS had been waived for T-38 acft, due to the acft's lack of controllability at the lower spd. The 172 was equipped with a transponder, but it was not equipped with mode c. the T-38 was equipped with a mode c transponder. Both acft were in radio ctc with the san antonio south dep ctlr, but abt 3 min bfr the collision, radar svc with the 172 had been trmtd.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N1466V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263603
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Wright Flyers Inc.
- Departed
- SAT · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- SAT
- Airport
- KSKF · Kelly Afb
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
- USAF
- Reported as
- Northrop T-38A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 64-13273
- Engine
- GE J-85-OE-5H, 2,900 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Armed forces
- Operator
- Department Of Defense, doing business as United States Air Force
- Departed
- RND · Randolph Afb, TX
- Destination
- DLF · Del Rio, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KSKF · Kelly Afb, runway 33, 11,550 × 300 ft
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N1466V
- Age
- 43
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,232 total · 750 in this make and model · 2,734 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 25
- Certificate
- Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 538 total · 431 in this make and model · 219 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- SAT, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.