Fremont Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fremont, California 94538
Saturday, May 30, 1987 14:25 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ON FINAL APCH TO LND ON RWY 28, A GLIDER (SCHWEIZER SGS 2-32, N242DB) & A TOW PLANE (BELLANCA 7KCAB, N88314) COLLIDED IN FLT AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 200' AGL. THE TOW PLANE WAS RETURNING FM A LCL TOW MISSION & THE GLIDER WAS RETURNINGFM A LCL SIGHTSEEING FLT. AFTER COLLIDING, THE 2 ACFT LNDD SAFELY. NORMAL PROCEDURES AT THE ARPT WERE FOR TOW PLANES TO FLY A LARGE PATTERN WITH A LONG FINAL APCH & FOR GLIDERS TO FLY A SMALL PATTERN WITH A SHORT FINAL. ALL TRAFFIC LNDG ON RWY 28 WAS TO USE A RIGHT PATTERN. THE TOW PLT SAW THE GLIDER AS HE (THE TOW PLT) WAS TURNING ON A LONG FINAL APCH. AT THAT TIME, HE ESTIMATED THE GLIDER WAS AT 1100' AGL & 1/2 MI IN THE TOW PLANE'S 7:30 POSITION. AS THE TOW PLANE CONTD ON FINAL APCH AT 65 MPH, THE GLIDER CONVERGED FM ABV & BEHIND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE NOSE OF THE GLIDER HIT THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE TOW PLANE. THE GLIDER PLT DID NOT SEE THE TOW PLANE UNTIL THE MOMENT BFR IMPACT. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIALDAMAGE TO THE TOW PLANE'S VERTICAL STABILIZER, BUT ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/30/1987
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1425
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City FREMONT
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 94538
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport FREMONT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 8Q7
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 10
Airport Elevation 12
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1345 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 308
Weather Observation Facility ID HWD
Elevation of weather observation facility 47
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Overcast
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 40
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
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 None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 4
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 502
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 30 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1515
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 33563
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:23PM
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 N88314 N242DB
NTSB Number LAX87LA224A LAX87LA224B
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 Substantial Minor
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELLANCA SCHWEIZER
Aircraft Model 7KCAB SGS 2-32
Aircraft Series Identifier 7KCAB SGS 2-32
Aircraft Serial Number 482-74 42
Certified Max Gross Weight 1650 1340
Aircraft Category Airplane Glider
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 3
Number of Engines 1 --
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 6 1986 12:00AM --
Airframe hours since last inspection 174 64
Airframe Hours 2174 2359
ELT Installed No No
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLAT,BRET G. WILLAT, BRET G.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 44999 CARISTY ST. 44999 CHRISTY ST.
Aircraft Owner City FREMONT FEMONT
Aircraft Owner State CA CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94538 94538
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name SKYSAILING SKY SAILING
Operator Same as Owner? No No
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 8Q7 8Q7
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1415 0
Departure Time Zone PDT
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 Approach
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM Aug 22 2001 3:51PM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 28 28
Runway Length 2300 230
Runway Width 30 30
Sight Seeing flight No Yes
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --