Cessna A185 N714KH

A Cessna 185 was landing on a runway at an uncontrolled airport, and a PA-18 had just taken off from the same runway when they collided midair. Both airplanes came to rest on the runway. The pilot and one passenger on the Cessna 185 were fatally injured, and the other passenger sustained serious injuries. The pilot of the PA-18 also sustained serious injuries. The Cessna 185 was destroyed by postimpact fire. The uncontrolled airport where the collision occurred is within the class D airspace of an international airport located about 3 miles away. All pilots arriving or departing from the uncontrolled airport are required to contact the air traffic control tower (ATCT) at the international airport before entering the class D airspace to ensure no conflicts with the larger airport’s traffic. The ATCT does not issue takeoff and landing clearances for aircraft operating at the uncontrolled airport but provides traffic advisories to the extent possible depending on higher priority duties of the controller or other limitations. The Cessna 185 and PA-18 pilots were in contact with the ATCT before the collision. About 9 minutes before the accident, the Cessna 185 pilot reported to the ATCT that he was 14 miles away and inbound to land at the uncontrolled airport. The ATCT controller instructed the pilot to report when he landed. Radar data indicated that as the Cessna was turning from base to final to land, the PA-18 pilot reported to the ATCT that he was preparing to takeoff from the same runway to the north. The ATCT controller instructed him to report being airborne and advised him of traffic that was on short final, to which the PA-18 pilot responded “nine eight [unintelligible].” The controller then immediately advised the Cessna 185 pilot of departing traffic northbound. The Cessna pilot replied that he “was right over him.” No further communications were received from either airplane. Postimpact examination of both airplanes did not reveal any preimpact failures or malfunctions that would preclude normal operation. Propeller slash marks found along the top of the PA-18 indicate the Cessna 185 was above and overtaking the PA18 when the collision occurred. Neither airplane was equipped with automatic dependent surveillance broadcast, nor were they required to be. Although the ATCT controller advised the PA-18 pilot of traffic on final approach, the pilot later reported that he did not recall hearing the traffic advisory. It is unknown why he did not hear the traffic advisory. The PA-18 pilot reported that he looked for traffic to the north and south twice before he taxied onto the runway for takeoff. The Cessna 185 pilot likely saw the PA-18 at the end of the runway, but it is unknown when or if he realized that the PA-18 was taking off and not holding short of the runway. The only indication that the Cessna pilot saw the PA-18 was when he informed the controller that he was “right over” him just before the collision. There is no record that the Cessna 185 pilot made any radio calls announcing that he was entering the traffic pattern or what runway he was landing on. Except for the radio call immediately before the impact, the only radio call the Cessna 185 pilot made was when he was 14 miles away from the airport. Although Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations 91.113, “Right-of-way rules: Except water operations,” states that, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, it is the responsibility of each person operating an aircraft to maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid other aircraft. The regulation specifically states that an aircraft on final approach to land or while landing has the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or operating on the surface, except that they shall not take advantage of this rule to force an aircraft off the runway surface which has already landed and is attempting to make way for an aircraft on final approach. Thus, the landing Cessna 185 had the right-of-way over the PA-18.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.