Downtown Holman Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

St Paul, Minnesota 55101
Tuesady, July 7, 1992 16:48 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A STUDENT & AN INSTRUCTOR (CFI) IN CESSNA 172, N6376F (76F), WERE PRACTICING TOUCH-&-GO LNDGS AS CESSNA 172, N5279R (79R), WAS ARRIVING (TRANSPORTING BLOOD FOR THE RED CROSS). AT 1640 CDT, 79R RPRTD 7 MI SE FOR LNDG. THE TWR CTLR SAW A TARGET IN THAT VCNTY (USING D-BRITE RADAR); HE TOLD 79R TO ENTER A LEFT DWNWND FOR RWY 12 & RPRT 2 MI SE. HE WAS RELIEVED AT 1643 BY A DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR (DC) & A FULL PERFORMANCE CTLR (FPC). HE BRIEFED THEM ON PSNS OF ACFT IN THE PATTERN & TOLD THEM 79R (STILL OUT OF SIGHT) WAS INBOUND FM THE SE, BUT HE DIDN'T SHOW THEM ITS PSN ON RADAR DRG THE BRIEFING. AT 1644:55, 79R MADE A CALL, SAYING THE ACFT WAS 'PRACTICALLY STRAIGHT EAST OF THE AIRPORT.' 79R NEVER RPRTD ON DWNWND, ALTHO TOLD AGAIN TO DO SO. THE CTLRS WERE WORKING SVRL ACFT; THEY NEITHER SIGHTED 79R, NOR USED RADAR TO FIND IT. AT 1647:06, 79R CALLED TURNING BASE FOR RWY 12. AT THAT TIME, 79R WAS TRACKING INSIDE THE FLT PATH OF 76F, AS 76F WAS IN A LEFT TURN TO FINAL APCH FOR RWY 14. ABT 25 SEC LTR, THE 2 CONVERGED, COLLIDED, THEN CRASHED TO THE GND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PLOTS OF BOTH AIRPLANES, WHICH RESULTED IN THEIR FAILURE TO SEE-AND-AVOID CONFLICTING TRAFFIC, AND FAILURE OF THE RELIEVING CONTROLLERS TO USE THE RADAR DISPLAY TO IDENTIFY AND SEQUENCE AN AIRPLANE ENTERING THE PATTERN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: AN INADEQUATE BRIEFING BY THE OFF-GOING CONTROLLER, AND INACCURATE POSITION REPORTS BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF N5279R.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/7/1992
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1648
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City ST PAUL
Event State MINNESOTA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 55101
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DOWNTOWN HOLMAN FIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID STP
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 320
Airport Elevation 705
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1645 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 140
Weather Observation Facility ID STP
Elevation of weather observation facility 705
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2600
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
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) 2710
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 7 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48360
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:04PM
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 N6376F N5279R
NTSB Number CHI92FA201A CHI92FA201B
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 172N 172M
Aircraft Series Identifier 172N 172M
Aircraft Serial Number 17273210 17263493
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300 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 4 4
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 21 1992 12:00AM Aug 14 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 96 94
Airframe Hours 4658 5262
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated Unknown Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name WINGS, INC. CLARA J. & ARNOLD R. JOHANSEN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 670 BAYFIELD ST. 3325 14TH AVE SOUTH
Aircraft Owner City ST. PAUL MINNEAPOLIS
Aircraft Owner State MN MN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 55107 55407
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name WINGS, INC. CLARA J. & ARNOLD R. JOHANSEN
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Street Address 670 BAYFIELD ST. 3325 14TH AVE SOUTH
Operator City ST. PAUL MINNEAPOLIS
Operator State MN MN
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 55107 55407
Operator Code KN8S
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 Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes No
Departure Airport Code STP 87D
Departure City DODGE CENTER
Departure State MN
Departure Country
Departure Time 1622 1600
Departure Time Zone CDT CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code STP STP
Destination City ST PAUL
Destination State MN
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach Approach
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 14 12
Runway Length 6711 4115
Runway Width 150 150
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --