LAX99FA027

The accident sequence was observed by airborne and ground witnesses. Both aircraft departed on runway 19. N19281, a Cessna 150L, departed first and made a slight dog-leg to the right in accordance with a local noise abatement procedure. N204D, a Cessna A185F, departed next and proceeded straight out on the upwind leg. The 150 was in a crosswind turn as the 185 began to close in from the 150's 7 o'clock position. The 150 was already in a left turn to downwind as the 185 began a left crosswind turn. The 185, the faster of the two, turned inside and continued in 180-degree crosswind turn until catching up and colliding with the 150. The 185 struck the empennage and left main gear of the 150 with its propeller and left wing, disintegrating the empennage. Comparison of the marks and damage on both aircraft confirmed the witness observations of the collision. The radio in the 150 was found in the 'on' position and was tuned to the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for the airport while the radio in the 185 was destroyed in the collision and postimpact fire. No transmissions were heard on the CTAF from either aircraft by any ground or airborne witness.

The accident sequence was observed by airborne and ground witnesses. Both aircraft departed on runway 19. N19281, a Cessna 150L, departed first and made a slight dog-leg to the right in accordance with a local noise abatement procedure. N204D, a Cessna A185F, departed next and proceeded straight out on the upwind leg. The 150 was in a crosswind turn as the 185 began to close in from the 150's 7 o'clock position. The 150 was already in a left turn to downwind as the 185 began a left crosswind turn. The 185, the faster of the two, turned inside and continued in 180-degree crosswind turn until catching up and colliding with the 150. The 185 struck the empennage and left main gear of the 150 with its propeller and left wing, disintegrating the empennage. Comparison of the marks and damage on both aircraft confirmed the witness observations of the collision. The radio in the 150 was found in the 'on' position and was tuned to the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for the airport while the radio in the 185 was destroyed in the collision and postimpact fire. No transmissions were heard on the CTAF from either aircraft by any ground or airborne witness.

See narrative for LAX99FA027A

History of flight

On November 12, 1998, at 1043 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 150L, N19281, and a Cessna A185F, N204D, collided while both aircraft were in the traffic pattern at the Yerington, Nevada, airport. Both aircraft were destroyed. The two occupants in N19281 and the single occupant in N204D all received fatal injuries. The aircraft were being operated by their pilot/owners under 14 CFR Part 91, with N19281 as an instructional flight and N204D as a personal flight at the time of the accident. Both flights originated from Yerington Municipal airport. N19281 departed about 1000 and had remained in the traffic pattern. N204D departed about 1042 with a final destination of Carson City, Nevada. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plans were filed.

A witness in a third aircraft that departed the Yerington airport immediately after N204D reported that he had both aircraft in sight as he was departing on runway 19. In his drawing of what he saw, he depicted N19281, the first to depart, as making a slight dog-leg to the right after takeoff from runway 19 in accordance with an airport noise abatement procedure. N19281 was in a crosswind turn as N204D, who was the next to depart from runway 19, proceeded straight out on the upwind leg. As he watched, N204D overtook N19281 approaching from its 7 o'clock position. N19281 was in a left turn to downwind as N204D also began a left crosswind turn. N204D, the faster of the two aircraft, turned inside N19281. N204D continued in a 180-degree crosswind turn until catching up and colliding with N19281 as they were each entering the downwind leg.

In an interview, a ground based witness used model aircraft to demonstrate how N204D overtook and turned inside N19281. N204D contacted the empennage and left main landing gear of N19283 with its propeller and left wing. The witness described N19283's tail being "cut off" with a resultant shower of "confetti" falling to the ground. After losing its tail, N19281 tucked its nose, becoming inverted and then entered a steep gliding spiral, finally impacting in a nose low, inverted attitude in the side yard at 421 South Main Street. After impact, N204D pitched up briefly then nosed over in a steep dive, finally impacting a single-family residence located at 310 Sandy Avenue, about 0.3 mile east-northeast of N19281. Upon impact, the aircraft burst into flames. There were no witness reports that N204D experienced any sort of in-flight separation, nor did a subsequent ground sweep of the area by investigators discover any wreckage that could be identified as having come from that aircraft.

Personnel information

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airman Records, the pilot of N19281 held commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates. At the time of the accident, he was conducting an instructional flight with a student pilot who was a certificated commercial glider pilot. The pilot was also an FAA designated pilot examiner, authorized to conduct private pilot airplane single engine land (ASEL) flight checks. His last biennial flight review (BFR) equivalent was his checkride with an FAA operations inspector with the Reno, Nevada, Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). This was conducted as part of his examiner authorization renewal on January 27, 1998. He held an airframe and powerplant certificate (A&P), a repairman certificate for radio and instrument, as well as inspection authorization. His second-class medical certificate was unrestricted. He had owned a fixed-base operation located on the Yerington airport for about 35 years.

In addition to his commercial pilot certificate for gliders, the student also held a flight instructor certificate with a glider rating. The date of issue for his commercial certificate was October 20, 1992. The date of issue for his flight instructor certificate was April 9, 1998. His third-class medical certificate, issued on November 26, 1997, required him to have glasses available for near vision. He had reported logging about 500 hours of flight time; however, it is unknown what portion of this time was in airplanes. He worked as a commercial fisherman near Halibut Cove, Alaska. He had lived part-time in Wellington, Nevada, the past 4 years.

The pilot of N204D was a former airline pilot with 32 years of service, who retired in 1987. He held a second-class medical certificate that required him to wear glasses for distant vision and to possess glasses for near vision. He also held an A&P certificate and had owned his aircraft for about 11 years. He was currently a reserve deputy with the Washoe County Sheriff's Carson City Aero Squadron unit. He had told his wife that he was going to fly to Yerington that morning for breakfast and then to practice some touch-and-go landings, something she said that he had done before. His pilot's logbook was not located.

Aircraft information

The aircraft logbook for N19281 was reviewed by Safety Board investigators and an FAA airworthiness inspector. The owner/pilot had performed the last annual inspection. No discrepancies were noted. The aircraft was equipped with a very high frequency (VHF) radio.

The aircraft and engine logbooks for N204D were found, partially burned, in the wreckage. The tachometer was destroyed; therefore, aircraft total time and time since the last inspection could not be established. The FAA's aircraft records file showed that the aircraft had several modifications. They included the addition of auxiliary fuel tanks, a short-field takeoff and landing (STOL) kit, which featured a flap actuated droop/elevator trim interconnect, an anti-collision strobe light, as well as avionics and air filter changes. The aircraft was equipped with a very high frequency (VHF) radio.

The amount of fuel onboard either aircraft at the time of the collision, as well as the location, vendor, and amount of fuel dispensed during the last servicing could not be established.

Communications

Yerington Municipal Airport is an uncontrolled airport. A common air traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), 122.8 MHz, is provided to allow pilots in the airport traffic area to voluntarily inform each other of their position and intentions.

The CTAF at Yerington was operated by the FBO owner, the pilot/instructor in N19281. Interviews with personnel at the FBO failed to identify anyone who was monitoring the frequency at the time of the accident.

The pilot of a third aircraft, a Cessna 140, N167C, who took off immediately behind N204D, was interviewed. That pilot told Safety Board investigators that he was monitoring 122.8 MHz at the time but did not recall hearing any radio transmissions from either of the two accident aircraft.

Airport

The pilot of N167C told Safety Board investigators that an informal noise abatement procedure existed for runway 19 at Yerington. The procedure consisted of a dogleg turn to the right on the upwind leg immediately after takeoff. This was done to avoid flying over the city while still at a relatively low takeoff altitude. The procedure is not published and passed on only through word of mouth from other pilots familiar with the Yerington airport.

Traffic pattern altitude is 5,178 feet msl with left traffic for runway 19-01.

Wreckage and impact information

Safety Board investigators estimated the final position of N19281 as 38 degrees 58.88 minutes north longitude and 119 degrees 09.82 minutes west latitude. The final position of N204D was estimated as 38 degrees 58.89 minutes north longitude and 119 degrees 09.47 minutes west latitude. Based on witness observations, the estimated altitude of both aircraft at the time of the collision was about 5,000 feet msl.

N19281

The cabin of N19281 exhibited vertical crushing consistent with the reported inverted ground impact. The fixed landing gear exhibited damage on the left