Eyes outside!

tonycondon

tonycondon

Gastons CRO (Chief Dinner Reservation Officer)
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Tony
Low Wing/High Wing anybody?

http://homepage.mac.com/captmic/napa/PhotoAlbum10.html

NTSB Identification: SEA08LA057A
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, January 01, 2008 in Sonoma, CA
Aircraft: Piper PA 28-180, registration: N8037W
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On January 1, 2008, about 1430 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA 28-180, N8037W, and a Barnard/Stancil Glastar, N15EX, collided in flight at the Sonoma County Airport (OQ3), Schellville/Sonoma, California. Both pilots were operating the airplanes under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot of the Piper, the sole occupant, and the commercial pilot and one passenger of the Glastar, were not injured. The Piper sustained minor damage, and the Glastar sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for either flight.

According to the pilot of the Piper, he was landing at the airport to attend a fly-in. As he was approaching the runway to land, he heard a thump and then saw the Glastar climb out from below his airplane. He noted damage to the rudder of the Glastar. The Glastar pilot attempted to go around the landing pattern and land at Sonoma. However, due to control difficulties, the Glastar pilot flew to Napa County Airport, Napa, California, where he landed uneventfully.
 
Oh wow... incredible pictures, and everyone is lucky to be OK. I would be really interested to learn all the details of what went on before this. What chain of events led to the two pilots not being aware of each other, besides the obvious blind spot problem in the end?
 
My guess, the high winger didn't check final before pulling out on the runway. However, the piper should have seen the high winger at some point, and been ready for the high winger.
 
Wow! From right there, I have a hard time understanding why the Glastar would have chosen to continue his climb. Why wouldn't it have been a better decision to land straight ahead. Would it be better to crash from 10 ft than to climb to 1000 feet when you're uncertain of the condition of your aircraft?
 
theres a lot of variables jason. hard to tell without having been in the seat. one outcome could have been that he landed straight ahead and balled it up with the cherokee on its rollout. he might not have realized what happened until he was already in the air and without sufficient runway to land straight ahead.
 
EdFred said:
My guess, the high winger didn't check final before pulling out on the runway. However, the piper should have seen the high winger at some point, and been ready for the high winger.
Click to expand...

There are reports that the GlassAir was at the hold line and just proceeded on to the runway with the Piper on final.

My question is what tipped off the guy with the camera?

It's like the plea they had on the early "America's Funniest Videos" " PUT DOWN THE CAMERA AND HELP THE GUY! (They actually got videos of babies in high chairs where you could see the guy with the camera kicking the chair over.)
 
Isn't that rudder thingy kind of important when landing a tail dragger? Could be why he went to a different airport?


James Dean
 
i was thinking the same james. probably went somewhere with no crosswind to deal with. still would be rather exciting.
 
I'll bet a dollar he knew something hit his tail... imagine the racket, and his feet would certainly tell him something immediately.

But is it even possible that the Glastar pilot had any idea what the extent of the damage was? I mean, can anybody here say they would think "Hmmm; the rudder's prob'ly gone, but I'm sure the vertical stab and the rest of the empennage is OK, so I'll just continue on here and hope to bring it in somehow..." ?

He was so darn low when the impact occurred that I can't believe he didn't just chop the throttle and try to put it down right there (that would probably be my first thought)... but yeah, maybe his primary consideration was that Piper still coming from his six (if he knew it was an aircraft and it was still there).

Talk about a rock and a hard place!! :eek:

I guess, in the end, he made the right choice... but he was damn lucky the damage wasn't worse... and that the Piper didn't also elect to go around, thinking perhaps the Glastar might abort the takeoff.

Eyes outside, indeed... formation landings are dangerous enough when planned in advance- this kind of incursion is always bad news.
 
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Amazing photos, and glad there were no injuries. Obviously, it could have been much worse!

Are those numbers on the GlassAir legal? Didn't we have a thread about those lately? Maybe THAT'S why they collided! :rolleyes:
 
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