Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pacifica, California 94044
Monday, February 20, 1995 13:10 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A GRUMMAN AA5B COLLIDED WITH A CHAMPION 7ECA WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1,300 FEET MSL. NEITHER THE GRUMMAN PILOT NOR THE CHAMPION PILOT HAD PREARRANGED TO FLY IN FORMATION. BOTH AIRPLANES DEPARTED FROM THE SAME AIRPORT AND HAPPENED TO BE FLYING ALONG THE SAME NORTHERLY COASTAL ROUTE. THE PILOT IN THE FASTER FLYING GRUMMAN OBSERVED THE CHAMPION AHEAD, AND INFORMED THE PILOT THAT HE WOULD PASS HIM ON HIS LEFT SIDE. THE CHAMPION PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE TRANSMISSION, AND OBSERVED THE GRUMMAN APPROACH FROM HIS 8 O'CLOCK POSITION AND TRAVEL TO HIS 9 O'CLOCK POSITION. THE CHAMPION MAINTAINED A STEADY ALTITUDE AND HEADING. BOTH PILOTS THEN OBSERVED A SOUTHBOUND APPROACHING TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANE AT ABOUT THEIR ALTITUDE IN THE HAZY SKY. THE GRUMMAN PILOT'S ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED TOWARD THE TWIN, AND HE LOST SIGHT OF THE CHAMPION. SECONDS LATER, THE GRUMMAN'S PROPELLER PARTIALLY SEVERED THE CHAMPION'S LEFT WINGTIP. BOTH AIRPLANES LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER MISHAP.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE GRUMMAN PILOT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT AND CLEARANCE FROM THE CITABRIA, WHILE OVERTAKING THAT AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE HAZY SKY CONDITION AND THE GRUMMAN PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION TO OTHER TRAFFIC.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/20/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1310 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | PACIFICA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 94044 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| 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 | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 596 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 20 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1430 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:03PM |
| 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 | N28003 | N9082L |
| NTSB Number | LAX95LA114A | LAX95LA114B |
| 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 | Minor | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GRUMMAN | CHAMPION |
| Aircraft Model | AA5B | 7ECA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AA5B | 7ECA |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AA5B0935 | 781-70 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 | 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 | 4 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 1995 12:00AM | Jun 16 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 18 | 57 |
| Airframe Hours | 1489 | 4078 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ALFRED PERREIRA | JEFFREY C. SMETHURST |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2901 ST. CLOUD DRIVE | 654 HEARST AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN BRUNO | SAN FRANCISCO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94066 | 94112 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | ALFRED PERREIRA | JEFFREY C. SMETHURST |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2901 ST. CLOUD DRIVE | 654 HEARST AVENUE |
| Operator City | SAN BRUNO | SAN FRANCISCO |
| Operator State | CA | CA |
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | 94066 | 94112 |
| 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) | Personal | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | HAF | HAF |
| Departure City | HALF MOON BAY | HALF MOON BAY |
| Departure State | CA | CA |
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 1255 | 1305 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | O56 | |
| Destination City | NOVATO | |
| Destination State | CA | |
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise | Cruise |
| 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 | -- | -- |