FORT PAYNE, AL, USA
N5527M
CESSNA 152
N20841
CESSNA 182P
A CESSNA 152 & A CESSNA 182 COLLIDED, NEARLY HEAD-ON, AT 2600 FEET ABOUT THREE MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE 152 PILOT WAS MANEUVERING THE AIRPLANE TO CONDUCT A LONG STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 22, & WAS NORTHEAST BOUND, IN A CLIMB, AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. THE 182 PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 22, USING THE NDB APPROACH PROCEDURES. HE WAS SOUTHWEST BOUND, HAD JUST PASSED THE NDB INBOUND TO THE FIELD, & HAD BEGUN A DESCENT, WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THE 152 PILOT SAW THE 182 A SPLIT SECOND BEFORE IMPACT & BEGAN AN EVASIVE DIVE. ACCORDING TO THE 182 PILOT, HE SAW THE 152 ABOUT 50 FEET BELOW HIM, SLIGHTLY LEFT OF HIS COURSE, & HAD INSUFFICIENT TIME TO BEGIN AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL OF THE 182 CONTACTED THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE 152, SEPARATING THE RUDDER OF THE 152. BOTH PILOTS WERE USING THE CTAF. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FOR BOTH PILOTS, WHO WAS ALSO FLYING AT THE TIME, THE 152 PILOT HAD NOT MADE ANY POSITION REPORTS. THE 152 PILOT REPORTED DIFFICULTIES HEARING INFORMATION PROVIDED TO HIM, BY UNICOM, REGARDING TRAFFIC.
On April 25, 1995, about 1720 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, N5527M, collided, in-flight, with a Cessna 182P, N20841, at Fort Payne, Alabama. Both aircraft were operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. There were no injuries to the student pilot in the 152, nor to the private pilot in the 182. The 152 was substantially damaged, and the 182 received minor damage. Both flights originated from Isbell Field, Fort Payne, Alabama, at 1600 and 1630, respectively, on the same day. The two aircraft collided about three miles northeast of the airport, about 2600 feet, mean sea level. The collision occurred on the extended centerline of runway 4. The non-directional beacon that serves the airport is located 3.5 Nmi on a 041 degree bearing from the runway. The student pilot of the Cessna 152 stated that he requested traffic advisories from the airport Unicom, via the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF), when he was about five to seven miles northwest of the airport at 2500 feet. He stated that he then maneuvered south of the airport to position the airplane for a long straight-in to runway 22. He understood from the CTAF that there was traffic, however, he reported difficulty understanding the radio transmissions, and did not understand the location of the traffic. Just prior to the collision, he was in a "descend [sic] status." "For a split second" he saw another airplane coming toward him, slightly above his altitude. He attempted to evade the airplane by diving. The Cessna 182 pilot stated that he was conducting a visual approach to runway 22, using the NDB-A approach procedures as a guide. He reported that he had passed the radio beacon inbound to the airport, about 20 seconds prior to the collision, and had begun a 500 fpm descent. He stated that he was looking out of the airplane when he saw the 152 head-on, about 50 feet below and slightly left of his course. He took no evasive action, stating there was insufficient time before the collision. He stated that he was not wearing a vision restriction device during the solo flight. He reported that he announced on the CTAF that he was at the radio beacon, inbound to the airport. The flight instructor for both pilots was airborne, at the time, and stated that he did not hear position reports from the student pilot in the Cessna 152.
The inadequate visual lookout by both pilots. Factors were the radio reception difficulties of the 152 pilot, his failure to make position reports while maneuvering for a landing, and the failure of the 182 pilot to have a safety observer while conducting visual instrument-procedures.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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