Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Francis S Gabreski Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
W.Hampton Beach, New York 11978
Sunday, June 22, 1997 16:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Four homebuilt, low wing airplanes, were being used to participate in an air race, conducted by the Formula V Air Racing Association. After crossing the finish line, while banking left at the first set of pylons, the number two and number three airplanes collided. Race procedures were for the pilots to maintain power and airspeed, while climbing to enter a landing traffic pattern. According to the fourth place pilot, the number two airplane, a Smith Sonerai-I, N77TY, decelerated, pitched nose up, and collided with the number three airplane, a Shafer Sonerai-I, N20CS. During deceleration, the number two airplane was below number three, and it entered the 'blind area' of number three. The number three pilot did not maneuver to maintain visual contact with number two. The design of the FAA approved race course included a 500 foot safety zone between the flight path of the airplanes and the spectators. Wreckage of both airplanes came to rest outside the safety zone, where spectators could have positioned themselves.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
failure of the number two pilot (N77TY) to follow race procedures, and failure of the number three pilot (N20CS) to turn and avoid the number two airplane, when it decelerated into the number three pilot's blind spot.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/22/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | W.HAMPTON BEACH |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 11978 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | FRANCIS S GABRESKI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FOK |
| 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 | 67 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1602 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FOK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 67 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| 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) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1469 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 22 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1615 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:21PM |
| 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 | N20CS | N77TY |
| NTSB Number | NYC97LA125A | NYC97LA125B |
| 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 | None | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Shafer | Smith |
| Aircraft Model | SONERAI-I | SONERAI-I |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SONERAI-I | SONERAI-I |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 329 | 434 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 750 | 750 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- | -- |
| ELT Installed | No | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CHRISTOPHER J. KALISHEK | RICHARD L. GOODLETT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4725 HAYES RD APT 115 | 2075 LONG RUN RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | MADISON | LOUISVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 53704 | 40245 |
| 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 | FOK | FOK |
| Departure City | ||
| Departure State | ||
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 1550 | 1550 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ||
| 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 | -- | -- |