- Date
- May 22, 1984, 11:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Ballard, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19840522025351A19840522025352A
- Case key
- 24279
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 pilot of N73857, a Cessna 172 and the pilot of N521ST, a Cessna 305 arranged prior to the flight to fly a 'missing man' formation with two other aircraft. The plt of N73857 was instructed to fly to the left rear of the lead acft, N521ST. The pilot of N521ST reported that he observed N73857 overtake his aircraft from his left rear, but was unable to maneuver his aircraft away fast enough to avoid the collision. The plt of N521ST stated that his was the leading aircraft and the other pilot in N73857 was responsible for maintaining his rearward position.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N73857
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267725
- Airframe hours
- 1,200
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Buckland Snow & Zimmerman, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 1ZA · Santa Ynez, CA
- Destination
- SMX · Santa Maria, CA
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
- N521ST
- Reported as
- Cessna 305C
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Continental O-470-11, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John G Roberts
- Registered owner
- John G. Roberts
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- IZA · Santa Ynez, CA
- Destination
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
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 N73857
- Age
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 830 total · 245 in this make and model · 63,023 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N521ST
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,410 total · 1,108 in this make and model · 3,020 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 11 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
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 N73857 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.