One Aircraft Landing, Other Departing At Time Of Contact
Three escaped serious injury Friday evening when two aircraft
collided over the runway at North Central State Airport (SFZ) in
Smithfield, RI.
Just before 1800 local time, an arriving twin-engine Piper PA30
Twin Comanche (graphic shown above) with one person onboard landed
atop a departing Beech A36 Bonanza with two aboard, according to
FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac.
Fire crews from Smithfield responded to the initial 911 call
from the airport, according to Fire Chief Joseph Mollo. They found
the two planes about 750 feet apart on the runway with significant
damage from the crash, as reported by the Woonsocket Call.
The pilot of the Piper was transported to be checked out at
Rhode Island Hospital after suffering abrasions and other minor
injuries, Mollo said. The occupants of the Bonanza were treated at
the scene and suffered no apparent injuries. The pair were
reportedly departing on a flight to New Jersey.
Officials did not immediately release the identities of those
involved in the collision.
The Bonanza (type shown below) was taking off when the collision
occurred, shearing its left wing off, Mollo said. The second plane
also suffered damage to a wing and may have lost a small wing-tip
fuel tank in the impact.
The Bonanza leaked some fuel as a result of the crash, but no
post-impact fire resulted.
Jack Ryan, a private pilot from Skippack, PA, told the newspaper
he had attempted to fly out of North Central earlier in the day to
make his way home by visual flight rules but returned after
encountering low visibility.
Inside the terminal when he heard the planes collide, he saw the
Bonanza sliding down the runway.
"After it came to a stop, two occupants got out in a hurry. They
started walking up the runway in the direction of the two-engine
aircraft, which had come to a stop at a taxi strip," Ryan said.
North Central State Airport has no control tower and operates on
a Unicom frequency. Both aircraft were reportedly under control of
controllers at nearby T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.
It was not immediately clear what caused the accident, Salac
said. FAA investigators arrived at the scene Friday night to
investigate.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 7660Y
Make/Model: PA30 Description:
PA-30/39 Twin Comanche, Twin Comanche CR
Date: 06/06/2008 Time: 2145
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
None Mid Air: Y
Missing:
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: PAWTUCKET State: RI Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
N27199, A BEECH A36 AIRCRAFT ON DEPARTURE, COLLIDED ON THE
RUNWAY WITH
N7660Y, A PIPER PA30 AIRCRAFT THAT WAS LANDING, ONE PERSON
ON BOARD N7660Y
SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE DESTROYED,
NORTH CENTRAL
AIRPORT, PAWTUCKET, RI
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: 2135Z CALM 10SM 006OVC
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase:
Landing Operation: Other
FAA FSDO: BOSTON, MA
(EA61)
Entry date: 06/09/2008