ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45019
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| Date: | Sunday 16 November 2003 |
| Time: | 13:30 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-181 |
| Owner/operator: | Windham Aviation |
| Registration: | N2885D |
| MSN: | 28-7990520 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Westerly, RI -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Windham, CT (IJD) |
| Westerly, RI (WST) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to the pilot of the Piper, when he arrived in the airport area, a landing attempt was made to the runway; however, because he was to high on the approach, the pilot elected to abort the landing. The pilot remained in the left-hand traffic pattern, and announced all of his positions on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF). The pilot added that trees obscured the threshold portion of the runway, and the taxiway leading to the runway as he flew the left-hand traffic pattern. Upon turning final approach to land the second time, the pilot observed a tail-wheeled airplane "about to get onto runway 32." The airplane remained on the runway, and the pilot thought it would remain there until after he landed. The pilot continued the approach, and soon after he passed over the runway threshold, he heard the sound of another airplane's engine, followed by an impact with the airplane. The pilot observed the other airplane descend towards the ground, as he performed a forced landing to the runway. The Piper touched down hard on the runway, collapsing the right main landing gear assembly, and came to rest upright on a taxiway. The Cessna came to rest in a nose down attitude off to the right side of the runway. The pilot of the Piper did not recall hearing the Cessna make any transmissions on the CTAF frequency, but did recall hearing other aircraft make transmissions. Examination of the approach end area of the runway revealed trees, which paralleled the taxiway leading up to runway 32, visually obscured aircraft flying left-hand traffic patterns for the runway. Traffic in the air was not visible to an individual facing southeast until the traffic turned onto final approach. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, paragraph 4-1-9. Traffic Advisory Practices at Airports Without Operating Control Towers, "Pilots of departing aircraft should monitor/communicate on the appropriate frequency from start-up, during taxi, and until 10 miles from the airport..." According to Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91.113, Right-of-way rules, "Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or operating on the surface...
Probable Cause: The Piper pilot's improper decision to continue a landing on an occupied runway, which resulted in an in-flight collision with the departing Cessna. Factors related to the accident were the departing Cessna pilot's inattentive radio communications, and the obscured visibility of the traffic pattern from the air and ground by trees located at the departure end of the runway.
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20031120X01934&key=1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Dec-2017 20:21 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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