- Date
- February 26, 1987, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Montgomery, NY
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N36139Cessna 402N3252MBellanca 8KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19870226028372A19870226028371A
- Case key
- 30486
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Both acft were operating under visual flight rules in the vicinity of active airports. The Cessna 402 was in a cruise descent. The decathlon was in level flight. Neither pilot in the 402 recalls seeing the decathlon, which was struck on the rt wing. The decathlon plt took evasive action to avoid the collision head on. The pilots of both aircraft stated that prior to the mid-air collision they were occupied with watching a military C5A transport aircraft which was operating in the same area. After the collision, the decathlon descended out of control and turned 180 degrees before the pilot was able to regain control and return to orange county airport and land without further incident.
Both acft were operating under visual flight rules in the vicinity of active airports. The Cessna 402 was in a cruise descent, the decathlon was in level flight. Neither pilots in the 402 recalls seeing the decathlon, which was struck on the rt wing. The decathlon plt took evasive action to avoid the collision head on. The pilots of both aircraft stated that prior to the mid-air collision they were occupied with watching a military C5A transport aircraft which was operating in the same area. After hearing an explosion in the nose area of the acft, the crew elected to return to teterboro airport and landed uneventfully approximately 20 minutes later.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N36139
- Reported as
- Cessna 402
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402C0297
- Airframe hours
- 2,013
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-VB, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Adestra Aviation Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 2, 1987 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- TEB · Teterboro, NJ
- Destination
- SWF · Newburgh, NY
- Airport
- runway 34, 6,006 × 150 ft, concrete
- Registration
- N3252M
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10573
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-320-E1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Whiteford
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1986 · 20 hours before
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N36139
- Age
- 60
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,435 total · 815 in this make and model · 5,300 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N3252M
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °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.