- Date
- August 24, 1989, 09:27 local (16:27 UTC)
- Place
- Tracy, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19890824031512A19890824031511A
- Case key
- 26242
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, which resulted in their failure to see-and-avoid each other's aircraft. A factor related to the accident was: the lack of a conflict alert system for the stockton arts ii radar.
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
Beech 95 (N9750Y) was tracking south at aprx 185 KTS as Cessna 180 (N42695) was tracking 118 deg at about 147 KTS. Both were in VMC, rcvg radar svc (VFR flt flwg) fm stockton TRACON. Drg automated radar handoffs to Tracy sector (tr) ctlr, the plts rprtd at 5500' MSL. Subsequently, the 2 acft converged, collided at about 5500' MSL, then crashed in unctld dscnts. The ctlr was occupied with ctlg 2 otr acft. Both were operg under IFR & required his attn to maint sepn. The collision occurred as the ctlr was concentrating on sepn of the 2 IFR acft. N9750Y converged on N42695 from the NE (APRX70 deg left of N42695'S nose). N42695 converged on N9750Y fm the sw (aprx 48 deg rgt of N9750Y'S nose). The ctlr was notaware of the collision until later. The stockton arts ii radar was not equipped with a conflict alert sys. The arts ii radar was programmed to move no beacon (VFR) call signs to the tab list after not rcvg a transponder reply for 5 scans (aprx 20 sec). After an adnl 33 scans (a total of aprx 2.5 min), the call sign would disappear fm the tab list, as well.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N42695
- Reported as
- Cessna 180J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052370
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lbf Equipment Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- San Rafael, CA
- Destination
- FAT · Fresno, CA
- Airport
- 036 · Tracy
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
- N9750Y
- Reported as
- Beech 95-A55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-431
- Airframe hours
- 1,417
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-L, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Samuel J. Perry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 1989 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- SAC · Sacramento, CA
- Destination
- SMX · Santa Maria, CA
- Airport
- 036 · Tracy
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 N42695
- Age
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N9750Y
- Age
- 68
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,600 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 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.