Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Palm Springs International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Palm Springs, California 92262
Tuesady, February 15, 2000 17:29 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A high-wing airplane and low-wing airplane collided in mid-air while operating in the traffic pattern at a controlled airport. The air traffic controller issued traffic advisories to both aircraft, and each pilot acknowledged the advisories. The controller also requested that the low-wing airplane, which was inbound to the airport, to "report two miles out on the forty five." The pilot of the low-wing airplane acknowledged the request; however, there was no evidence that the pilot gave the report. The high-wing airplane was in the process of making a right turn from crosswind to the downwind leg when the low-wing airplane (inbound on a 30 degree entry to downwind) impacted the high-wing airplane's left wing with its propeller and lower engine cowling. The high-wing airplane subsequently lost control, the flight instructor recovered, and conducted an emergency landing in a desert area adjacent to the airport. The low-wing airplane continued to the airport and landed without further incident. Review of the air traffic control system revealed that the control tower was not utilizing the Digital Bright Radar Indicator Tower Equipment (D-BRITE), which would provide controllers with additional radar data on the airplanes, because it was out of service due to being unreliable. However, FAA directives state that the D-BRITE system was never intended to be utilized for traffic separation. The pilots were informed that they did not have radar coverage while in the controlled airspace via the Automatic Terminal Information Service. Additionally, the Airman's Information Manual states that regardless of radar coverage, pilots have the sole responsibility to see and avoid other aircraft.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of both flight crews to see and avoid the other airplane while operating in the traffic pattern, which resulted in a mid-air collision. A contributing factor was the failure of the arriving aircraft to comply with air traffic control requests by not issuing a position report.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/15/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1729 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Palm Springs |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92262 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335000N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1163100W |
| Event Location Airport | Palm Springs International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PSP |
| 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 | 50 |
| Airport Elevation | 474 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PSP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 474 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14286 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 15 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1900 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 25 2003 11:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6479D | N84PB |
| NTSB Number | LAX00FA101A | LAX00FA101B |
| 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? | No | No |
| Damage | Substantial | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | 172N | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172N | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17272827 | 28-24584 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 | 2050 |
| 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 | Annual | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 13 2000 12:00AM | May 12 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 | 130 |
| Airframe Hours | 9054 | 7404 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Pending | Patrick A. Brass |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Los Angeles | Brea |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90035 | 92821 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | Bermuda Dunes Air Service | Alliance International Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | No |
| Operator Street Address | 79-880 Avenue 42 | 7000 Merrill Avenue, Hangar #1 |
| Operator City | Bermuda Dunes | Chino |
| Operator State | CA | CA |
| Operator Country | -- | -- |
| Operator Zip code | 92201 | 91710 |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PSP | CNO |
| Departure City | Palm Springs | Chino |
| Departure State | CA | CA |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1725 | 1650 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | UDD | PSP |
| Destination City | Bermuda Dunes | -- |
| Destination State | CA | -- |
| Destination Country | USA | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 12 2003 6:11PM | Sep 12 2003 6:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- | 31R |
| Runway Length | -- | 4952 |
| Runway Width | -- | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |