- Date
- October 12, 1990, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Watsonville, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19901012048552A19901012048551A
- Case key
- 27053
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
The failure of the pilots of both aircraft to see and avoid the other.
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 N65544 said that he was holding in the run up area prior to takeoff and the Cessna 152, N24815, taxied up in front of his aircraft in a perpendicular orientation. The pilot said he could not see the Cessna 152 and began to pull forward to move into position. The propeller of N65544 sliced into the right wing of the Cessna 152. The instructor pilot on board the Cessna 152 stated in his written report that his student taxied up to the hold short line in preparation for takeoff. He said that he looked to his right and saw the stearman taxi into his right wing. The Watsonville airport is an uncontrolled general aviation facility.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N24815
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280395
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- United Flight Services
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- WVI
- Destination
- WVI
- Airport
- WVI · Watsonville
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
- N65544
- Reported as
- Boeing B75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-6629
- Engine
- Continental R 670-4, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert E. Hill
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- WVI
- Destination
- WVI
- Airport
- WVI · Watsonville
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 N24815
- Age
- 26
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,515 total · 725 in this make and model · 1,280 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N65544
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 567 total · 36 in this make and model · 504 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.