Gillespie Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

El Cajon, California 92020
Tuesady, November 25, 1997 11:32 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A Cessna 152 (C-152)and a Cessna 172 (C-172) collided in mid air while in a closed traffic pattern at Gillepsie Field. A student and flight instructor were aboard the C-152, and a student pilot was the sole occupant of the C-172. The C-172 was cleared to takeoff with instructions to follow the C-152. A third aircraft was also in the traffic pattern at the time. After takeoff, the air traffic controller looked away to check on other traffic but when he looked back, neither aircraft was visible. He made several unsuccessful calls to both the pilots. The student in the C-152 reported that he had turned crosswind as he came abeam of the third aircraft. When he reached pattern altitude, he began his downwind turn. He was trimming the aircraft when he saw the C-172 approaching his position. He banked hard to avoid the aircraft, but felt an impact. The instructor attempted to take the controls and, with both pilots on the controls, they executed an emergency forced landing on a surface street. The aircraft elevator control lost effectiveness and the aircraft landed hard. They did not report any other mechanical abnormalities before or after the collision. Witnesses reported that both aircraft were on a converging flight path. The student pilot in the C-172 was making his second solo flight but had not advised the controller. The controller did not specify that he was number 3 in the pattern. Haze was reported in all quadrants. The Brite radar repeater in the tower cab is not capable of monitoring traffic on the south side of the airport due to terrain height.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot of the other aircraft's failure to recognize and follow the aircraft on the downwind as instructed. Factors influencing this accident were the pilot's failure to see and avoid the other aircraft; the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight; the pilot of the other aircraft's failure to verify the controller's instructions; the altitude limitation of the Brite radar repeater in the tower cab that prevented its use in traffic pattern separation; and the prevailing haze which restricted visibility.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/25/1997
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1132
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City EL CAJON
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92020
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport GILLESPIE FIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SEE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 225
Airport Elevation 387
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1150 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 225
Weather Observation Facility ID SEE
Elevation of weather observation facility 387
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 25
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
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 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1783
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 25 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1155
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:40PM
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 N757FT N9518H
NTSB Number LAX98FA045A LAX98FA045B
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna Cessna
Aircraft Model 152 172M
Aircraft Series Identifier 152 172M
Aircraft Serial Number 15279711 17266195
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670 2300
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 4
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Sep 25 1997 12:00AM Jul 30 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 94 81
Airframe Hours 5928 5234
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated Yes Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name VOLAR CORPORATION EDWAR A. MASLON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1640 NORTH JOHNSON AVENUE 1759 NORTH MARSHALL AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City EL CAJON EL CAJON
Aircraft Owner State CA CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92020 92020
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name JEAN RUNNER ANDY BURR
Operator Same as Owner? No No
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes No
Operator Street Address 2035 NORTH MARSHALL AVENUE
Operator City EL CAJON
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92020
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 Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes Yes
Departure Airport Code SEE SEE
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1129 1130
Departure Time Zone PST PST
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 Approach Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 27L 27L
Runway Length 5341 5341
Runway Width 100 100
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --