- Date
- May 21, 1989, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bradford, VT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 2 minor
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 10, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19890521012312A19890521012311A
- Case key
- 36285
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
Failure of the rated pilots in both aircraft to see and avoid a midair collison.
Failure of the rated pilots in both aircraft to see and avoid a midair collision.
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
Cessna 172M, N1272U, with a commercial plt & student plt passenger, collided in flt with Cessna 172RG, N4974V, which was being operd by a pvt plt & a designated FAA check plt on a commercial plt check flt. Witnesses rprtd the 2 acft converged & collided while on hdgs of 30 to 45 deg from each other. No evasive action was evident. During impact, the rgt horizontal stabilizer of the 172RG became imbedded in the windsheild of the 172M, & the prop of the 172M severed the tail of the 172RG. The 172RG went out of control & crashed. The occupants of the 172M made an emergency landing on an interstate highway with only minor injuries to themselves & minor damage to their acft.
Cessna 172M, N1272U, with a commercial plt & student plt passenger, collided in flt with Cessna 172RG, N4974V, which was being operd by a pvt plt & a designated FAA check plt on a commercial plt check flt. Witnesses rprtd the 2 acft converged & collided while on hdgs of 30 to 45 deg from each other. No evasive action was evident. During impact, the rgt horizontal stabilizer of the 172RG became imbedded in the windshield of the 172M, & the prop of the 172M severed the tail of the 172RG. The 172RG went out of control & crashed. The occupants of the 172M made an emergency landing on an interstate highway with only minor injuries to themselves & minor damage to their acft.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N1272U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266967
- Airframe hours
- 4,747
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-02G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Zackery A. Clark
- Registered owner
- Gold Coast Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 8, 1988 · 244 hours before
- Departed
- EFK · Newport, VT
- Destination
- 7B2 · Northampton, MA
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
- N4974V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG
- Airframe hours
- 1,752
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Pcg Air
- Registered owner
- George Malloy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 2, 1989
- Departed
- LEB · Lebanon, NH
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 N1272U
- 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.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,111 total · 662 in this make and model · 1,059 as pilot in command · 402 in the last 90 days · 157 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N4974V
- Age
- 20
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 248 total · 197 as pilot in command · 51 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LEB, 24 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.