The private pilot of the Piper airplane with a passenger on board was landing at the airport in Sebring, Florida, while the student pilot of the Diamond airplane with a flight instructor on board was performing touch-and-go landings on an intersecting runway in day visual meteorological conditions.
Both airplanes were flying in left traffic patterns for their respective runways at the uncontrolled airport.
The Piper pilot and the student pilot in the Diamond reported they announced every leg of the traffic pattern on the airport’s published common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF).
The Diamond landed, and just when the student was adding power to initiate a takeoff, the left wing of the Piper, which was landing and flaring just a few feet above the runway, hit the tail of the Diamond.
The flight instructor in the Diamond said he was looking for the Piper after he saw it flying in the vicinity of the airport, but that he never saw it in the airport traffic pattern, while the pilot of the Piper did not report seeing the Diamond until just before the collision.
Recordings of the airport’s CTAF showed that radio calls from the Diamond were heard for every leg of the airport traffic pattern on the published CTAF frequency before the collision, but only two garbled radio calls from the Piper were heard on the published CTAF frequency.
Post-accident examination of the Piper’s transceiver revealed that it was set to a different frequency. The Piper’s transceiver was then set to the correct CTAF frequency, and the communication was clear. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot of the Piper failed to use the correct CTAF frequency when he announced his airplane’s position in the airport traffic pattern.
Probable cause: The inability of the pilot of the Piper and the student pilot and flight instructor of the Diamond to see and avoid the other airplane. Contributing to the collision was the Piper pilot’s failure to use the correct common traffic advisory frequency to announce his airplane’s position.
NTSB Identification: ERA18LA268A
This September 2018 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Forget all of the stuff out of the cockpit! It’s VFR, see and be seen. Pilots announce and consider it self granted permission. Pilots talk, do not listen and do not look. We need a lot more looking and much less talking. Learn to fly the pattern, your flying a GA airplane, not a 747. Straight in’s should be the exception, not the rule. I’m surprised this does not happen more often.
“My Friend” with a recently acquired plane left his home base (CTAF 129.0) and flew 15 miles to another airport (CTAF 129.8). He made all the proper calls
But he had not changed freqs.
On final, he spotted a Cherokee at the “hold short” mark and made another position report (still on wrong freq.) On very short final, the Cherokee pulls onto the runway. My “friend” aborted, side stepped the runway and did a go around. The Cherokee continued on his take off roll and departed the area, apparently never having seen “my friend” flying along side and just above him as he was on take off roll and climb out.
So, we have the failure of “my friend” to properly dial in and broadcast on the correct frequency. And we have the Cherokee pilot who can’t be bothered to even check final before pulling onto the runway.
Is that what they call a “chain of events?”
At least “my friend” was looking out for other traffic. In the article above, apparently neither plane was looking out.
Anyone who has been flying for a while has found themselves on the wrong frequency at some time or another, I know I have.
Most NORDO aircraft are equipped with radios, so fly the correct pattern, look for aircraft in the places you least expect them to be and give way if anything doesn’t look right. When I turn downwind and see an aircraft in the run-up area I am extra cautious, because of the scenario you describe.
Another regulation would not have prevented the accident in the article above, the cause was basically human factors…
I’ve had my PPL for a little over a year, so a relative newbie to the flying community. But, my vote in for requiring all GA to have working radios and ADSB In/out. Of course it will never completely replace see & avoid, but let’s be honest even when you’re told someone is at your ___ o’clock, many times its struggle to find them if you do at all. Just my 2-cents.
ADS-B OUT is already required. Those that cheap-out and do not get ADS-B IN are missing a critical tool.
No, it is not required in most airspace in the US. It is not required when outside of class B thirty mile arcs, not required when outside of class C upside down cake, not required when below 10,000. Not required on aircraft without electrical systems.
BINGO. The big elephant in the room is aircraft exempted from ADS-B… including gliders, most antique aircraft, balloons, some LSA, and a whole lot of ultra lights. IMHO, anyone who can afford an aircraft of any type, category, or class can afford (and USE!) a radio when operating within 5 miles of any airport.
ADSB OUT is NOT required except for Bravo and Charlie airspace.
I live close enough to the Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas environment that I chose to equip.
I like the idea of being easily seen and it makes your ADSB IN devices give you even better target returns.
It’s a smart purchase whether it’s required in your area or not.
Philip,
Even flying in the pattern it can be difficult to see another aircraft ahead of you, even when you know where they are supposed to be. The only time I find it easier to see them is what the other aircraft is turning.
In the last few years, for some reason, new pilots are flying ‘B-152’ patterns; flying more than a 1/2 mile abeam on downwind and then turning base a mile from the runway..
A number of times I just leave the pattern for 1/2 hour, hoping the others are on the ground or have flown elsewhere.
I always fly with all my lights on, hoping that I’m easier to see; nav and taxi lights
ADS-B is a double edged sword. Yes, it provides situational awareness, but it also keeps the pilots head down, in the cockpit. While you’re in the pattern at ANY airfield, your head should be up and eyes open. Approaching a busy airport with the ADS-B showing multiple targets on a cluttered screen keeps your head down, and messing around with finding a resolution so you can know where to look for traffic less than a mile away is risking a close call, simply because you didn’t look where you were going and weren’t focused on actually flying the aircraft.
As an instructor, I’ve seen pilots spend a large amount of time hunting for traffic shown on the ADS-B, while it was miles away, and no factor, but they hunted anyway because it was there. A less than stellar CRM. I’ve also seen pilots satisfied to sit and use the “Fish Finder” as their sole traffic avoidance tech, because “its really just so reliable”, not realizing that there are other targets that will never have ADS-B, like migratory birds, a real hazard at this time of the year.
Mid-Air collisions enroute are rare, so much so, they don’t make the Nall report. Collisions during approach to land, are unfortunately, more common. Caused by poor pilot technique and poor procedure, and sometimes just bad luck. Maybe an automated solution would help, but who’s going to be looking for ADS-B data on final approach? The guy who’s eventually going to get fixated on the display and prang, because CFIT is real, and distractions are not always caused by things we see as bad. I think the data will show just as many incidents with folks failing to see traffic with the technology, as with out. The claim that ADS-B is providing anything more than a marginal safety improvement in highly congested airspace might be a bit of a stretch. The data will tell.
Those that claim a mandatory implementation for everyone should consider, the highest fatal accident rates are still, Loss of Control, and VMC into IMC. Should we mandate Autopilots for every aircraft? AutoLand? Elimnate VFR Private pilots and mandate everyone IFR? Mandate Ercoupes? All those would certainly improve the accident record far more than ADS-B alone.
Will you be satisfied when the price of general aviation aircraft is dominated by the cost of the mandatory automated systems, raising the bar to entry into GA so that our tiny fraction of the population shrinks every year, until we can be quietly swept under the rug by a cost averse government. Not every owner can afford all the bells and whistles, if that were true, we’d all be flying Beech Barons, with all the fixings. For a lot of GA pilots, aircraft ownership is a somewhat ratted out 1947 Aeronca, wheezing away on 65 well kept but slightly tired horses, carefully and frugally cared for, because that’s all they can do. Do you want to kick them to the curb, so you can tool around confident in your illusion of safety? I hope not. Whether you like them or not, NORDO aircraft are hear to stay, so are ultralights, antiques, and homebuilts. Yes, they’re sometimes flown by folks who make mistakes, but so are Learjets, Mooneys, and Bonanzas.
Lastly you have to remember, the reason for ADS-B and GPS Nextgen airspace overhaul wasn’t for General Aviation, whom the FAA regards with, at best, benign neglect, or at worst downright distain. It was for the Airlines, the added flexibility in routeing provided means their thin profit margins get a little thicker, and in Washington, it’s not the tiny flight school, or rural airport, or light sport aircraft owner who makes the wheels turn, it’s the folks with money to spend, Airlines, Avionics Companies, the Business Jet operators. They ask, the FAA finds a way. The Rest of us, get placed on Hold, pending cancellation of our flight plans.
Well put.
I vote for Ercoupes, although I’m not giving up my Aeronca and those 65 horses are Thoroughbreds!
After flying 30000 hrs in a bunch of different planes, over 50 years……requiring radios, is Nonsense.
Look out the window!
Generally, Products from the pilot puppy mills are pretty fair, with radio coms, and have marginal airmanship qualities.
Again, look out the window!
Well said!
So, this ‘older guy’ [ 79 ], leaves Tampa with his radio tuned to 122.725, and flies to Sebring , where the ctaf is 122.700, and doesn’t change the frequency. [ he needs glasses for both far and near vision ]
Then he lands on the runway no one else is using which has a direct crosswind….
This guy is a careless, reckless pilot….91.13.?
I’m 61 and can easily do stuff like forget to change frequencies – I have to be more on my toes than ever. I can’t imagine flying around at 79. These elderly machine operators have themselves fooled into thinking they are sharp and safe, but they are not, they are senile. Age-related incompetence has killed many people over the years.
As a company owner who uses machine operators, fact is generally the older operators are better and safer. Because you’re becoming, according to you, senile at a fairly young age doesn’t mean everyone else is.
Everyone forgets something on occasion, unfortunately sometimes it’s critical, however usually it’s not.
Just because a person is elderly and operates a machine does not mean they are senile. I am pretty sure that those two factors fulfill the requirements for senility.
But you are right “age-related incompetence has killed many people”. Perhaps these are a few examples or perhaps there are other factors to be considered.
https://katv.com/news/local/teen-identified-as-pilot-in-deadly-arkansas-plane-crash
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deadly-ala-plane-crash-may-have-been-teen-joyride/
https://people.com/human-interest/teenage-pageant-queen-pilot-dies-plane-crash/
I am not a researcher for the NTSB but I am pretty sure that drivers under 25 are responsible for more traffic deaths each year than drivers over 75. And no I am not over 75.
I agree that there are some people who should stop flying solo because of age related issue. And it is the purpose of the Flight Review to aid in determining that. But to issue a broadly generalized statement based on little or no factual evidence is incompetent at best and as we know people who are judged incompetent should not be allowed to fly.
Curious as to why two planes , same airport , using two different runways…I know you can but the question is should you .
One airplane could be starting training in landings into the wind – the other could be more advanced and working on crosswind landings.
When the pilot begins talking he stops looking. Announcing one’s position is no replacement for see and avoid – paying attention. That push to talk button is often, and correctly referred to as the Pilot Disconnect Button.
Accurate appraisal.
And it is exacerbated at a multi-runway airport. I think pilots tend to believe everyone will use the same runway which results in inadequate visual scanning of all patterns and runways.
PERFECT example why NORAD is a dangerous and dumb reg. The FAA must require radios!
A typical scenario of pilots not looking outside and the lack of situational awareness. I have been at Major Airports when controllers have made deadly mistakes which were avoided by simply looking outside.
The see and avoid excuse is does not cover NORAD. This scenario is the same as having no radio. Btw. It is a myth than you can see other planes most of the time, even ones closing on you. If you do not have ATC help and/or ADS-B IN you are flying blind. Don’t kid yourself.
A regulation is not going to guarantee anything. Radios fail and pilots have other emergencies making a radio call impossible (ex: inflight fire). This is a good reminder that the primary defense for collision avoidance is proper visual scanning.
I find many radios out there are transmitting garbled nonsense and are unreadable and pilots will always be dialing in the wrong frequency or fail to dial in a frequency. It happens… a lot.
There’s a reason why they put windows in the planes. Look out them. Apparently neither the Piper or the Diamond pilots did. The CFI was aware of the other traffic, but didn’t keep track of him. It doesn’t say whether he made the student aware at all. And the Piper didn’t see the traffic on the crossing runway? Apparently everyone is looking at their screens and not looking out the windows.
Sure. And you have no guarantee you will wake up tomm. morning. False logic. The regs are there for good reason…to let everyone know what the playing field looks like and to create a line over which passing can cost you your privileges.
Recommending a reg requiring radios in a case study where each airplane had a radio seems like false logic.
gbigs,
1. NORAD is North American Aerospace Defense Command
2. Both aircraft were equipped with operational radios
Yes, the term is NORDO, ‘no radio’.
I do agree that radios should be required at all GA public airports.
A no-electrics aircraft can use an inexpensive handheld, which works well in the traffic pattern….not so well more than 5 miles away.
[ an external antenna will help, but most HH are 1 watt vs 8-15 watts for installed radios.]
Gibbs, you are still incorrect.
The correct term is NORDO.
https://www.avweb.com/features/say-again-50-lost-communications-nordo-part-1/
http://flyinginhawaii.com/instructional-resources/loss-of-radio-communication-nordo/
Shall we go on?
Nonsense!
Look out the window. It can pay big dividends.
NORAD or NORDO?
I agree that all aircraft having radios (and all pilots competent and using them) would probably reduce midair collisions. A few years ago I searched the NTSB aircraft accident online data base. I was surprised how many NORDO aircraft crashed into other aircraft. ‘See and Avoid is a nice idea, but it’s a very poor substitute for accurate, timely, clear two way radio coms. Lotsa pilots forget that ADS/B will only be required on aircraft that were built with electrical systems. Eyes outside doesn’t buy us much if a non-transmitting pilot of a radio equipped airplane isn’t looking or listening. The bottom line here is that we (ALL) still have to look, look some more, and keep looking for that ‘Other Pilot’ whose failure to see us turns our ride into a falling, twisted coffin.
I think it’s the other way around – radios are a nice idea but no substitute for see and avoid. Not long ago, an airliner at O’Hare was instructed to cross a runway in front of an airliner on the takeoff roll. The co-pilot looking first before starting to taxi to cross saved the day.