Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Antonio, Texas 78216
Saturday, March 19, 1994 13:51 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THREE AIRPLANES, A TAYLORCRAFT (L-2), AN INTERSTATE (L-6), AND A PIPER (L-3) WERE FLYING A PHOTOGRAPHIC FORMATION FLIGHT THAT WAS PLANNED AND BRIEFED. THE BRIEF CALLED FOR THE L-6 TO LEAD THE FLIGHT WITH THE L-2 FLYING IN THE LEFT WING POSITION AND THE L-3 IN RIGHT WING FORMATION WITH ABOUT A TWO WING SPAN SEPARATION. THERE WAS NO PLAN FOR ANY SIGNALS BETWEEN PILOTS. A PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE L-6 WAS TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE L-3, WITH THE CITY IN THE BACKGROUND. THE FORMATION HAD EXECUTED TWO LEFT HAND ORBITS, WITH THE L-2 INSIDE THE TURNS, WHEN THE LEAD AIRPLANE INITIATED ANOTHER LEFT TURN. DURING THAT TURN, THE L-2 COLLIDED WITH THE L-6. THE THIRD AIRPLANE WAS NOT INVOLVED. THE LEFT WING SEPARATED FROM THE L-6 AND THE EMPENNAGE OF THE L-2 WAS DAMAGED. FOLLOWING THE COLLISION BOTH AIRPLANES WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND IMPACTED THE GROUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE TAYLORCRAFT PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE DURING FORMATION FLIGHT. A FACTOR WAS THE OTHER PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND PREPARATION REGARDING INFLIGHT FORMATION PROCEDURES.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/19/1994
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1351
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City SAN ANTONIO
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 78216
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1414 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 345
Weather Observation Facility ID SAT
Elevation of weather observation facility 809
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 15
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 160
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 516
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 19 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1445
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 10:49AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N596BH N46951
NTSB Number FTW94FA102A FTW94FA102B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None None
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Destroyed Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name TAYLORCRAFT INTERSTATE
Aircraft Model DCO-65 S-1B1
Aircraft Series Identifier DCO-65 S-1B1
Aircraft Serial Number L-5963 168
Certified Max Gross Weight 1325 1650
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2 2
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 23 1993 12:00AM Jul 15 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 50 80
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name ALAMO LIAISON GROUP ALAMO LIAISON GROUP
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. O. BOX 16057 P. O. BOX 16057
Aircraft Owner City SAN ANTONIO SAN ANTONIO
Aircraft Owner State TX TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 78280 78250
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown Unknown
Operator Certificate Number -- --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not -- --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight -- --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail -- --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes Yes
Departure Airport Code NONE
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1330 1330
Departure Time Zone CST CST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code NONE
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0 0
Runway Length -- --
Runway Width -- --
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --