On 18 August 2022 at approximately 2:55 PM PDT, a midair collision occurred near Watsonville Airport, California, involving a Cessna 152 (N49931) and a Cessna 340A (N740WJ) during their approach to land. The accident resulted in the deaths of all three people on board the two aircraft—the pilot of the Cessna 152 and the pilot and passenger of the Cessna 340A. Both aircraft were destroyed and were being operated as private flights under Part 91 regulations.
Before the collision, the Cessna 152 was flying in the airport traffic pattern and making regular position reports on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF). Meanwhile, the Cessna 340A announced a straight-in approach from about 10 miles away and also continued making position reports. However, the two pilots did not directly communicate until the multi-engine aircraft was about one mile from the airport and the Cessna 152 had already turned onto the base leg. Realizing the conflict, the Cessna 152 pilot initiated a go-around, but the aircraft collided on final approach at approximately 150 feet above ground level.
The investigation found no mechanical failures in either aircraft that could have contributed to the accident. Evidence showed that the Cessna 340A was still configured with its landing gear and flaps retracted while maintaining a high approach speed of around 180 knots, likely reducing the pilot’s time to detect and avoid the slower aircraft. Toxicology reports detected low levels of several substances in both pilots, including THC, but investigators concluded that these were not factors in the accident. The collision was ultimately attributed to the pilots’ failure to maintain adequate visual separation during the approach.
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/281713
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The NorCal guy must be hard of hearing.
The NTSB is correct. But – there is nothing wrong with straight ins- and there is no assurance of a better outcome with the required higher speed of a 340 in the pattern. I have had been cut off on final by a plane entering the runway after a series of announcements. Had to do a low speed 360 at 300 ft. I won't do that again. I'll just fly over the top and reenter the pattern. The 152 pilot might have been surprised at the speed of arrival, but heard the 1 mile final 340 call before he called final. Bad situation all around. Best to avoid conflict rather than assume right-of-way. Did they both have ADSB? It will show clearly how fast the closure is. The lost time of the 152 may have been 30 seconds if extending downwind. That would have created more than a mile gap. Bad situation.
Clearly the twin was at fault. The pilot paid the ultimate price but he took another pilot with him. Meaning justice will never be done.
As a 54 year private pilot, I always hated so called big time performance drivers entering uncontrolled airfields on straight INS. Oh… get the f—k out of my way, I’m burning gas and time!
Sounded like some old guy who just didn't want to follow procedures. There needs to be an age cap for flying.
Full marks for the 152 pilot. He was communicating all the time. He lost his life regardless, due to the Cessna 340 barrelling his way in and not talking to any other aircraft in the circuit. Very sad!
I would never cut infront of a faster aircraft. I would extend my downwind and turn base behind the C340.
There have been way too many ' mishaps ' in the flying community over the past couple of years. I am embarrassed to be a part of it.
Twin pilot had Bonanzitis.
Why are people doing straight in approaches when they know there are pilots in the pattern? Totally selfish
Another preventable GA tragedy. Condolences to all involved.
The usual “I’m fast, therefore I don’t have time to set up for proper pattern entries” so common at uncontrolled fields.
so tragic this is the airport i got my ppl out of 😢
What a moron. Just thought that everyone will clear the pattern for him. That loser killed that kid.
🙏🙏🙏
downvote for not writing date in title or thumbnail when it's old news
I was landing at Muncie Indiana runway 32 and tower let me do a straight in approach (I was a student in first cross country solo in a 172) and as I got about 1 mile from the runway the tower told me I had a Citation on my tail at 100 knots and to expedite my landing. I stayed at 100 knots (way over normal approach for a 172) and then in the last 1/8 of a mile or so I leveled out and chopped the throttle to reduce to normal approach speed and then dropped flaps and pushed her down to the runway and made a decent landing. I had to do a lot of trim wheel spinning, not good when you should have your hand on the throttle. But why the tower controller allowed that to happen to a student pilot is beyond me. I should have just done a go around but everthing happened so fast I just went for it. And really he sould have told me to do a go around. Not like Muncie is a super busy towered airport or anything. I got off that runway at the first taxiway turn of course.
Both pilots not aware of things.
Just over the little Ridgeline is San Martin airport and this kind of thing where some Yahoo poorly trained pilots do a straight in multiple aircraft flying the pattern. The FAA really needs to hit these people hard and just monitor these airports.
There's a reason why a straight-in into a non-towered field is an automatic bust on a pilot check ride. This is true all the way up to the CFI checkride.
I am a retired US Army helicopter pilot and earned my single and multiengine airplane after retirement and flew recreationally. At the age of 53 I no longer fly. I know we still drive automobiles with crashes everyday but something in me says that's enough flying. I will just fly commercial air. I have had enough close calls. It's a different world out there.
The 152 definitely at fault. Didn't listen to the unicom frequency and turned base right in front of the twin. He needed to extend his downwind and look for the traffic to follow. Sad.
The150 was wrong.
Sad
What’s the point of all the radio calls if you don’t listen to anyone else, establish communication, and take steps to resolve traffic conflicts?
This kind of radio usage is like driving down the road with your horn blaring, warning everyone to stay out of your way.
The twin hearing traffic in the pattern should of cancelled his straight in. He was VFR coming in not IFR with a clearance to land. Twin should have gotten into the pattern behind the C150. It's not the ocean where the biggest ship has the right of way.
NTSB final report blames the twin. From the report: "Probable Cause: The failure of the pilot of the multi-engine airplane to see and avoid the single-engine airplane while performing a straight-in approach for landing."
C340 came straight in balls to the wall fast. If I was in that C152 and listening to this guy announcing he's straight in 10 miles, 5. miles, 3 miles in such close time elapsed, I'm extending my downwind .Of course, the 152 pilot had no way of knowing for sure the 340 was flying an approach at 175kts and the rate of closure was eating that 152 alive. I typically voluntarily extend downwind when there's a fast mover on final because i don't want to take the chance of winding up getting run over by a fast mover who can't even see me. This whole thing sucked.
Blah,blah, blah. Same old crap at non-tower fields. Everybody is “broadcasting”; nobody’s communicating with each other. No way that 152 should have turned base if he was listening to what the twin was broadcasting.
See and avoid- both are responsible
2 airplanes in the air…. tower should have done better…
Single heard several times twin was on final straight in approach, I think he thought he had space and totally misgudged.
Obvious twin pilot never saw him, but did know he was there….
I agree that the 152 was at fault as well but he was a new pilot and wasn’t experienced how other pilots can be just holes
I remembered this cash . in this situation the Cessna the 152 pilot even though he was in the traffic pattern first should have said you know what I'm extending my downwind. turning base with a faster airplane on a 3 mile was a collision waiting to happen.
One pilot is flying his aircraft just to get better , The other pilot owned the sky & airfield and was just
Showing everyone how incredibly great he was …
Working in the pattern requires a “meeting of the minds”. If you turn base in front of traffic on final without communicating the details, you are going to get it. Convergence kills. Don’t create convergence.
Both pilots are at fault. The single engine knew someone was on a 3 mile final and turned base. If you're going to do that you'd better check their speed on ads-b or make a call. I would have just extended downwind. You're always going to have idiots trying to make straight ins, you have to coordinate or be patient with low quality pilots.
I used to work part-time at a regional airport. There was always this one a-hole who would do a straight-in, and it didn't matter to him if all the other traffic were landing opposite of him. I'm really surprised that old fart lived as long as he did. Oh, and he was in a turboprop, and later on, a jet. Arrogance will get somebody killed.
Reminds me when i was a student pilot… Was short final to land and out of no where a small silver home built airplane cuts directly in front of me and just below no radio calls nothing…. no idea where he came from scared me to death i landed and sat in the airplane for a bit.. was going to go talk to the guy buy i was way to pissed off so i just went home talked to other people and they said yeah thats so and so he dont have a radio… It was just Class E airspace but still use a fking radio jack ass….
Moral of this story is IF you are doing pattern work and someone announces they are on final you guys gotta communicate and set up a deal
The 152 could’ve extended his downwind and came in behind the twin or the twin could’ve entered the traffic pattern and came in behind the 152. It seems like both had a ME NEXT attitude and it ended up costing everyone dearly. It seems like courtesy went right out the window here.
Atc shouldn't have let them so close, we could all, see what was going to happen ATC should have moved one big error by ATC.
Put it on pilot but what about ATC They could surely see on their screens what we all saw.
It doesn't look like there was a fire with the twin. Maybe he should have declared an emergency on the way in.
Two poor decisions.
Gotta go with both pilots fault. I would have NEVER turned a base leg in front of a twin on a straight in approach. Wait for him to go by you. And yes I agree, the twin should have overflown the airport midfield and entered the pattern on the 45 while keeping the Cessna in sight all the time. Hold my beer, I've done this a million times…….never fails.
Twin Cessna’s fault for not doing the standard pattern entry and falling in between the traffic already in the pattern, this could have and should have been avoided. Prayers for those involved and those affected by this tragedy.
pure arrogance by the twin
Fault of straight in approach aircraft. The Cessna was clearly in a final pattern, slower and first to near landing.