Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Arlington Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Arlington, Washington 98223
Sunday, April 6, 1997 14:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The solo student pilot of a Cessna taxied onto runway 34 after visually checking for other airplanes in the traffic pattern and transmitting his intentions to take off. Meanwhile, the commercial pilot of a Pitts was on final approach to the same runway after transmitting that he was turning base to final onto the same runway. As the Cessna was climbing through about 30 feet above the ground after takeoff, the Pitts overtook it and descended into the tail of the Cessna. The Pitts continued downward and impacted the runway on its main landing gear, while the Cessna flipped inverted and fell onto the runway. Both pilots stated that they did not see each other prior to the collision, nor did they hear each other over the radio. No preimpact mechanical or electrical malfunctions were found. The Pitts pilot stated that he was watching a red airplane complete a landing rollout on the runway while the Pitts was on final approach to the same runway, and that he never saw the Cessna prior to the accident. The Pitts did not have a landing light installed.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the student pilot to perform an adequate visual lookout prior to taking off from the runway, and the failure of the commercial pilot of the other airplane to perform an adequate visual lookout while on final approach for landing on the same runway. A factor contributing to the accident was the commercial pilot's diverted attention.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/6/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | ARLINGTON |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98223 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AWO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 137 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1400 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AWO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 137 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| 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 | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 341 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 6 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1415 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:14PM |
| 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 | N4100U | N45WA |
| NTSB Number | SEA97LA083A | SEA97LA083B |
| 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 | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna | Allen-Wayne Pitts |
| Aircraft Model | 150D | S-1E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 150D | S-1E |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15060100 | 1 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 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 28 1996 12:00AM | Jan 3 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 125 | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 3700 | 462 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | No |
| ELT Activated | Yes | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SKY VALLEY AVIATORS | WHISKEY ALPHA AVIATION, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 566 | 402 5TH AVENUE S. |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAKE STEVENS | EDMONDS |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98258 | 98020 |
| 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) | Instructional | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | No |
| Departure Airport Code | AWO | PAE |
| Departure City | EVERETT | |
| Departure State | WA | |
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 1400 | 1320 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | AWO | |
| Destination City | ||
| Destination State | ||
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff | Approach |
| 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 | 34 | 34 |
| Runway Length | 5333 | 5333 |
| Runway Width | 100 | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |