# NTSB LAX87FA296: Cessna 152, N152SC, Palo Alto, CA, August 8, 1987

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: August 7, 1987, 17:29 local (Aug 8, 1987, 00:29 UTC)
- Place: Palo Alto, CA
- Coordinates: 37.449203, -122.099533 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.4492&lon=-122.0995&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 5 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report September 1, 1989
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 25417
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX87FA296
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/25417/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX87FA296

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Midair collision, takeoff - initial climb
  - traffic advisory - delayed, atc personnel(lcl/gnd/clnc) (cause)
  - supervision - inadequate, atc personnel(supervisor) (cause)
  - visual lookout - inadequate, pilot in command (cause)
  - visual lookout - inadequate, pilot of other aircraft (cause)
- Midair collision, takeoff - initial climb
  - traffic advisory - delayed, atc personnel(lcl/gnd/clnc) (cause)
  - supervision - inadequate, atc personnel(supervisor) (cause)
  - visual lookout - inadequate, pilot in command (cause)
  - visual lookout - inadequate, pilot of other aircraft (cause)

## Analysis (aircraft 2)

A MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED ABT 2.8 MI WEST OF PALO ALTO ARPT (PAO) AS CESSNA 152, N152SC, WAS ON A LEFT X-WND DEP FM RWY 30 & MOONEY 20J, N5201Y WAS TRANSITTING THE ARPT TRAFFIC AREA (ATA) FM SE TO NE & DSCNDG FM 2400' TO 1500'.  N152SC WAS ON TWR FREQ. N5201Y (ON A TRAFFIC WATCH FLT FOR A LCL RDO STN) HAD JUST BEEN GIVEN A FREQ CHG TO SAN CARLOS (SQL) TWR TO TRANSIT ITS ATA, WHICH WAS NEXT TO THE PAO ATA. THE LCL CTL PSN AT PAO WAS BEING WORKED BY A DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR (D/C) UNDER SUPVN OF THE TWR SUPVR. HE DIDN'T IDENT N5201Y ON HIS BRITE RADAR. THE SUPVR SAW A PSBL CONFLICT DEVELOPING & WAITED A FEW SEC BFR ISSUING AN ADZY TO SEE IF THE D/C WOULD SEE & RESOLVE IT. THE SUPVR THEN TRANSMITTED A TRAFFIC ADZY TO N152SC, BUT THERE WAS NO REPLY. ABT 9 SEC LTR, THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED & COLLIDED. NEITHER AIRCREW SAW THE OTR ACFTIN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION, BUT BOTH WERE ABLE TO LND SAFELY. THE D/C HAD 8 HRS OF OJT IN THAT PSN. THE AIRSPACE WAS COMPLEX WHERE 5 ATA'S ADJOINED EACH OTHER; THE VARIABLE TCA FLOOR SEGMENTS RANGED FM 4000' OVER PAO TO 1500' OVER SQL.

## Analysis (aircraft 1)

A MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED ABT 2.8 MI WEST OF PALO ALTO ARPT (PAO) AS CESSNA 152, N152SC, WAS ON A LEFT X-WND DEP FM RWY 30 & MOONEY M20J, N5201Y WAS TRANSITTING THE ARPT TRAFFIC AREA (ATA) FM SE TO NW & DSCNDG FM 2400' TO 1500'. N152SC WAS ON TWR FREQ. N5201Y (ON A TRAFFIC WATCH FLT FOR A LCL RDO STN) HAD JUST BEEN GIVEN A FREQ CHG TO SAN CARLOS (SQL) TWR TO TRANSIT ITS ATA, WHICH WAS NEXT TO THE PAO ATA. THE LCL CTL PSN AT PAO WAS BEING WORKED BY A DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR (D/C) UNDER SUPVN OF THE TWR SUPVR. HE DIDN'T IDENT N5201Y ON HIS BRITE RADAR. THE SUPVR SAW A PSBL CONFLICT DEVELOPING & WAITED A FEW SEC BFR ISSUING AN ADZY TO SEE IF THE D/C WOULD SEE & RESOLVE IT. THE SUPVR THEN TRANSMITTED A TRAFFIC ADZY TO N152SC, BUT THERE WAS NO REPLY. ABT 9 SEC LTR, THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED & COLLIDED. NEITHER AIRCREW SAW THE OTR ACFTIN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION, BUT BOTH WERE ABLE TO LND SAFELY. THE D/C HAD 8 HRS OF OJT IN THAT PSN. THE AIRSPACE WAS COMPLEX WHERE 5 ATA'S ADJOINED EACH OTHER; THE VARIABLE TCA FLOOR SEGMENTS RANGED FM 4000' OVER PAO TO 1500' OVER SQL.

## Aircraft 1

- Registration: [N152SC](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N152SC-2008-02-26), registration cancelled 2008-02-26, S/N 15280265, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 152
- Registry model: [Cessna 152](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (registry code 2071835) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 15280265
- Airframe hours: 3618
- Engines: LYCOMING O-235-L2C 110 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Minor damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Palo Alto Flying Club
- Registered owner: Kondratieff, Cynthia
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, June 10, 1987, 102 hours before
- Departed: PAO
- Destination: PAO
- Airport: PAO, Palo Alto Muni, runway 30, 2,500 × 65 ft, asphalt

## Aircraft 2

- Registration: [N5201Y](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5201Y), registered now, S/N 24-0585, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- Registry model: [Mooney M20J](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (registry code 5870219) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 24-0585
- Airframe hours: 9197
- Engines: LYCOMING IO-360-A3B6D 200 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Aerial observation, Part 91
- Registered owner: Durling, Lindsay T.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, March 5, 1987, 245 hours before
- Departed: CCR, CONCORD, CA
- Destination: CCR
- Airport: PAO, Palo Alto Muni, runway 30, 2,500 × 65 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot, aircraft N152SC; age 44; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 5,656 total, 1,225 in this make and model, 5,400 as pilot in command, 118 in the last 90 days, 41 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours
- Pilot, aircraft N5201Y; age 36; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 10,070 total, 9,097 in this make and model, 9,890 as pilot in command, 223 in the last 90 days, 92 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 340° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: PAO, 3 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19870807046071A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870807046071A), Aug 7, 1987: Cessna 152, Palo Alto, CA, Minor damage. Nose gear struck the rudder of Mooney N5201Y during descent and in contact with ATC radar.
- [Accident 19870807046072A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870807046072A), Aug 7, 1987: Mooney M20J, Palo Alto, CA, Substantial damage. Rudder was struck by nose gear of a descending 152 N152SC while transitioning between towers. Traffic advise late.

## Other investigations on N152SC (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX00LA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA165), Apr 21, 2000: Cessna 152 (N152SC), Fresno, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fuel exhaustion during cruise flight due to the student pilot becoming disoriented and lost.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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