Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary BFO93LA006

SUFFOLK, VA, USA

Aircraft #1

N91868

CESSNA 182

Aircraft #2

N63532

CESSNA 150M

Analysis

CESSNA 182, N91868, COLLIDED IN FLIGHT WITH CESSNA 150, N63532, WHILE BOTH WERE IN A LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE CESSNA 150 PILOTS (CHECK PILOT AND PILOT BEING EVALUATED) HAD JUST LANDED AND TOOK OFF AGAIN FOR ANOTHER PATTERN, AS THE CESSNA 182 PILOTS WERE ENTERING THE PATTERN TO LAND. AS THE CESSNA 150 WAS ROLLING OUT ON A LEFT DOWNWIND, THE LEFT SEAT PILOT OBSERVED THE CESSNA 182 CONVERGING FROM BEHIND AND FROM THE LEFT, SO HE 'PULLED THE NOSE SHARPLY UP.' MEANWHILE, THE PASSENGER IN THE CESSNA 182 ALERTED THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT IN THE FRONT SEATS THAT THE CESSNA 150 WAS CONVERGING FROM THE RIGHT. THE CFI IN THE CESSNA 182 TOOK THE CONTROLS AND 'MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN.' THE AIRPLANES COLLIDED, BUT WERE LANDED SAFELY. THE CESSNA 150 CHECK PILOT STATED THAT THE CESSNA 182 PILOTS HAD MADE A NONSTANDARD ENTRY INTO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Probable Cause and Findings

FAILURE OF THE PILOTS IN THE CESSNA 182 TO VISUALLY IDENTIFY AND AVOID THE CESSNA 150 (INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT). A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: USE OF A NONSTANDARD ENTRY INTO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN BY THE CESSNA 182 FLIGHT CREW.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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