- Date
- February 21, 1992, 08:02 local (13:02 UTC)
- Place
- Orlando, FL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19920221003451A19920221003452A
- Case key
- 33066
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 pilots in command of both aircraft failure to maintain vigilance and see and avoid each other resulting in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the local controllers failure to issue traffic advisories.
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
Plt of N738YY rept to local controller he was northbound on north loop in accordance with letter of agreement for skywatch flts. This was only comm with flt prior to collision. Another skywatch flt was southbound. Two min later N6988V rept ready for takeoff rwy 7. Plt of N6988V had not heard northbound skywatch rept in. N6988V was clr takeoff for northwest dept. After takeoff while nw bound controller called traffic to N6988V as skywatch flt to rt heading southbound. Controller did not advise of northbound skywatch. The plt of N6988V rept southbound skywatch in sight. One minute later N6988V and N738YY (the northbound skywatch) collided. Both flts returned to arpt and landed uneventful. N738YY received substantial damage, N6988V received minor damage.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N738YY
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270353
- Airframe hours
- 5,256
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Flight Express, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Flight Express, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 29, 1992 · 33 hours before
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
- N6988V
- Reported as
- Mooney M20E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-1350
- Airframe hours
- 1,994
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-AIA, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul R. Palmeri
- Registered owner
- Paul R. Palmeri
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 4, 1991 · 37 hours before
- Destination
- Cedar Key, FL
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 N738YY
- Age
- 24
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,011 total · 500 in this make and model · 938 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N6988V
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,600 total · 110 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORL, 5 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.