OH MAN... Look At These Photos And Try NOT To Have Heart
Palpitations!
Thanks to some excellent photography and some good luck, ANN has
received permission to show you some extraordinary pictures of
a CLASSIC high-wing v. low-wing midair collision/confrontation.
First, let us note that everyone is OK... and that this is an
accident that could have been FAR worse... but once the pilots
realized the situation they were in, they made the best decisions
possible and survived to tell the tale.
Thanks to photographer Roger Cain, we now have amazing pix, from
the best possible angle, to show you how these accidents DO
occur.
Mind you; both airplanes were dealing with each other's blind
spots in what is a truly "classic" midair scenario. So...
take a look and learn... and think how you might change your own
procedures and visual scans to avoid such a classic and hazardous
situation.
The number of folks who can say they have survived a midair is
awfully small, but thankfully, we've added a few to the survivor
column, rather than the more ominous alternative.
It was NOT a happy new year when the high-wing Glastar
taildragger and the Piper Cherokee mixed it up on final (note that
this was a high-wing v. low-wing accident... a not-unheard-of
factor in a number of midairs), but once again, all that really
matters is that everyone survived to tell the tale.
** Report created 1/4/2008 Record 1 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 15EX Make/Model: EXP Description: GLASTAR
Date: 01/01/2008 Time: 2215
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: Y
Missing:
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: NAPA State: CA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
N8037W, A PIPER PA 28-180 ON FINAL APPROACH, STRUCK ANOTHER
AIRCRAFT, N15EX, A GLASTAR, BOTH AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT,
NO INJURIES REPORTED, N8037W SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, N15EX
SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, SONOMA VALLEYAIRPORT, NAPA, CA
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: APC 09015G20KT 10SM CLR 14/01 A3021
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: Other
FAA FSDO: SACRAMENTO, CA (WP25) Entry date: 01/02/2008
ANN thanks Roger Cain for the use of these
photos... with our mutual hope that all those who see these pix
resolve to operate their aircraft with even greater care and
caution.