FTW99FA153

See brief narrative for FTW-99-F-A153A.

A low-wing airplane (Mooney) turned from left base to final approach and descended into a high-wing airplane (Cessna) that was established on final for the same runway. Day VFR conditions prevailed at the CTAF equipped non-towered airport at the time of the collision. According to witnesses, both pilots were announcing their position on the CTAF. The Cessna was executing a practice straight in ILS approach to the runway. The instrument student in the Cessna reported reaching DH altitude for the practice approach (250 feet agl). The collision occurred within 4 to 6 seconds after the flaps on the Cessna were extended while at 65 knots and approximately 150 to 200 feet agl. Tire tracks found atop the left wing and left flap of the Cessna were matched with the main and nose landing gear of the Mooney. Paint transfers from the bottom of the right wing of the Mooney were found atop the fuselage and upper portions of the windscreen on the Cessna. The tire imprints, paint transfers, and other marks corresponded to the Mooney being above and to the rear of the Cessna 172.

See narrative for FTW-99-F-A-153A.

History of flight

On May 29, 1999, at 1203 central daylight time, a Mooney M20B low-wing airplane, N74706, and a Cessna 172P high-wing airplane, N96868, collided in flight while on final approach to runway 17 at the Mesquite Metro Airport, near Mesquite, Texas. Both airplanes were destroyed by subsequent impact with the ground. The Mooney was registered to and operated by the pilot on a local personal flight. The Cessna was owned by Richard Vehorn Enterprises Inc., of Dallas, Texas, and was being operated as an instructional flight by Monarch Aviation of Addison, Texas. The private pilot and the passenger in the Mooney were fatally injured. The private pilot receiving instruction in the Cessna sustained minor injuries, while his flight instructor escaped without injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flights. The Mooney flight originated from the Redbird Airport, near Dallas, Texas, approximately 1150, with the Mesquite Metro Airport (HQZ) as its intended destination. The Cessna's local instructional flight originated from the Addison Airport (ADS) near Dallas, Texas, approximately 1015. No flight plans were filed by either of the pilots for their respective flights.

The flight instructor in the Cessna 172 stated that a one-hour instructional flight was scheduled to conduct instrument flight training in the local area. Multiple instrument approaches were executed at the Mesquite Metro Airport. Two consecutive practice Instrument Landing System (ILS) approaches were performed to Runway 17, each of which terminated with a touch and go landing. The in-flight collision occurred during the third practice ILS approach to Runway 17.

The instrument student in the Cessna 172 reported that after reaching the decision height (DH) altitude for the approach (250 feet agl), he removed the instrument hood and confirmed that the airplane was properly aligned for landing. He added that he visually checked for traffic, reduced the engine power to idle, and extended the wing flaps to 30 degrees.

The flight instructor stated that the mid-air collision occurred within 4 to 6 seconds after the flaps were extended while the airplane was at an indicated airspeed of 65 knots and approximately 150 to 200 feet agl. After the collision, the flight instructor assumed control of the airplane. The airplane collided with the airport perimeter fence (chain link), impacted a drainage ditch, and nosed over, coming to rest in the inverted position on the east side of the runway.

None of the reported eyewitnesses were able to confirm the operational status of the landing lights, the strobe lights, or the anti-collision lights on either of the airplanes.

Personnel information

According to his flight logbook, the Mooney pilot started flying on February 23, 1993, and had accumulated a total of 158.7 flight hours. His first solo was conducted on June 17, 1993, and he received his private pilot's certificate on June 29, 1993. He purchased and started flying the Mooney on December 30, 1998, and had accumulated a total of 37 hours in the accident airplane, of which 10.6 hours were completed within the last 90 days. His most recent medical certificate (class III) was issued on September 23, 1998. His last biennial flight review (BFR) was completed on September 29, 1998, in a Cessna 150.

The flight instructor in the Cessna 172 started flying on July 12, 1993, and received his private pilot's certificate on May 13, 1994. The flight instructor earned his flight instructor's privileges on November 23, 1998. His last class II medical certificate was issued on August 18, 1998, without any waivers or limitations. His last BFR was completed on April 10, 1999, in a Cessna 172. According to his flight logbook, he had accumulated a total of 650 flight hours, of which 320 hours were as a flight instructor. The flight instructor reported having accumulated a total of 250 hours in the Cessna 172 airplane.

None of the pilots were required to wear corrective lenses. The flight instructor in the Cessna reported that he was wearing his sunglasses at the time of the accident. The remains of the instructor's sunglasses were found in the wreckage.

Aircraft information

The 1961-model Mooney M20B was a single engine airplane featuring retractable landing gear and a constant speed propeller. The airplane, serial number 1706, had accumulated a total of 1,831.34 flight hours. The last annual inspection was completed on November 26, 1998, at 1,792.8 airframe hours (1,647.1 tachometer). The engine had accumulated a total of 1,831.34 hours, with 1,042 hours since its most recent major overhaul.

The Mooney had been out of service for the previous 7 days while an avionics dealer at the Redbird Airport installed a new King/Bendix KA134 intercom system. The owner last changed the engine oil on March 6, 1999. The engine tachometer was reading 1,685.64 hours at the accident site. The Mooney was equipped with a hand held Garmin GPS Map 195 (serial number 61027964).

The 1984-model Cessna 172P was a high wing all metal airplane featuring fixed tricycle landing gear and a fixed pitch propeller. The airplane had accumulated a total of 3,319.3 tachometer hours (5,148.3 Hobbs hours). The Cessna was equipped with a panel mounted Morrow Inc., Apollo GPS II, (serial number 01034228).

According to the pilot's operating handbook (POH) for the Mooney, the approach speed with the flaps retracted was 78 knots. The recommended approach speed for the Cessna was 65 knots.

The NTSB Investigator-in-charge (IIC) and an FAA inspector conducted a review of the airframe and engine records for both airplanes. No evidence of anomalies or uncorrected maintenance discrepancies was found on either.

Meteorological information

A pilot at the airport reported a scattered to broken cloud layer at 2,500 feet msl, with 10 miles visibility. The flight instructor in the Cessna 172 reported a 2,300 foot scattered layer of clouds with 7 to 8 miles visibility in haze. A local law enforcement officer reported that it was "a muggy and hazy 5 miles" at the time of the accident.

Hourly sequence reports from the Redbird Airport (KRBD) located 18 nm west-southwest, the Dallas Love Field (KDAL) located 17 nm west-northwest, the Terrel Municipal Airport (KTRL) located 13 nm to the east, and the McKinney Airport (KTKI), located 25 nm north of the Mesquite Metro Airport, indicated mostly clear skies with visibilities between 7 and 10 miles.

Communications

The radio transmissions made on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) were not recorded. The flight instructor reported that he made a radio call on the CTAF frequency when the Cessna was over the outer marker inbound. The instructor further stated that at that point he heard the Mooney pilot announcing on the CTAF that he was entering the traffic pattern on a left downwind. The flight instructor stated that he was unable to establish visual contact with the Mooney. The flight instructor last announced his position on the CTAF when the airplane was a half-mile out on final approach for runway 17.

Another pilot, who reported that he was in the traffic pattern on a left downwind leg for Runway 17 when the accident occurred, acknowledged that both pilots in the traffic pattern (Mooney and Cessna) were announcing their positions and intentions on the CTAF. He stated that the Mooney pilot announced turning left base and a few seconds later announced "turning final for a full stop on 17." The pilot in the pattern further stated that the flight instructor in the Cessna responded, "I am on short final, and I have been announcing." The Mooney pilot did not respond to or acknowledge the Cessna pilot's transmission.

Aerodrome information

The Mesquite Metro Airport is a public non-towered airport located 3 miles east of the City