Mid-air collision Serious incident Cessna 208B Grand Caravan PH-JBR, Sunday 8 October 2023

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Date:	Sunday 8 October 2023
Time:
Type:	Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Owner/operator:	Paracentrum Texel, opf Skydive Zeeland
Registration:	PH-JBR
MSN:	208B0762
Year of manufacture:	1999
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	None
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	near Midden Zeeland Airfield (EHMZ) - Netherlands
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Parachuting
Departure airport:	Midden Zeeland Airfield (EHMZ)
Destination airport:	Midden Zeeland Airfield (EHMZ)
Investigating agency:	Dutch Safety Board
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Cessna 208B skydiving aircraft (PH-JBR) and a Robin DR.400/180 glider tow aircraft (PH-SSZ) were involved in a near collision while entering the traffic pattern at Midden-Zeeland Airport (EHMZ).

At around 13.04 hours, the Robin took off from the glider strip south of Runway 27 for its first glider tow flight of the day. After consulting with the glider pilot, the Robin headed northeast to take advantage of the expected thermals. A few minutes after take-off, at an altitude of around 1,100 feet, the Robin crossed the circuit followed by a climb in north-easterly direction to 1,640 feet. After the glider had been released, the Robin banked left to descend in the direction of the circuit entry point.
The Cessna 208B, which had dropped parachutists on its seventh sortie, approached the entry point from the northwest around the same time. The Cessna pilot radioed that he was at 3,000 feet. The Robin pilot overheard this and radioed in from a position north of the entry point. However, the latter message was not heard by the Cessna’s pilot due to interference on the radio channel. Shortly after both planes came too close to each other.
The pilot of the Robin heard a loud bang and then saw the Cessna, coming from behind, fly overhead. The Cessna pilot stated that he had pulled up at the last moment, but was unable to prevent the aircraft from getting close to the Robin. The radar data shows that the Cessna was flying 60 knots faster than the Robin at the time of the occurrence. Both aircraft were able to continue flying and land at Midden-Zeeland Airport without any further problems.

The Robin was equipped with two mirrors: one on the canopy’s windscreen divider and the other was attached to the left wing. After the occurrence, it was found that the Robin’s canopy mirror had detached and the left wing tip mirror was cracked, with paint damage visible on the wing around the mirror. No damage was found on the Cessna.
Both aircraft were equipped with an aircraft collision avoidance system for approaching aircraft, but these were not compatible with each other. The Cessna was equipped with an ADS-B transponder, while the Robin had a FLARM system.

The Dutch Safety Board noted that the speed difference of 60 knots has a negative impact on the effectiveness of the ‘see-and-avoid’ principle. It is therefore important that pilots of faster aircraft adapt their speed in and near the circuit, where slower traffic can also be expected, to the slow-flying traffic. By doing so, they create more time to avoid conflicting traffic. Besides flying at an appropriate speed in and near the circuit, the method of merging into the circuit is also relevant.

Accident investigation: