Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Irwindale, California 91706
Sunday, January 27, 1985 15:41 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A CESSNA 120, N9058Y, & A CESSNA 152, N65599, COLLIDED IN MIDAIR IN THE PRACTICE AREA FOR EL MONTE, CA. ARPT. THE TWO AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED THE CONTROLLED ARPT WITHIN THREE MINUTES OF EACH OTHER. BOTH HAD ONE INSTRUCTOR & ONE STUDENT ABOARD. THE CESSNA 152 WAS STILL OUTBOUND IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION & THE CESSNA 120 HAD CALLED THE TOWER FOR LANDING INSTRUCTIONS WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THE CESSNA 120 BROKE UP IN FLIGHT & INJURIES WERE FATAL TO BOTH PLTS. THE CESSNA 152 MADE A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY LNDG. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR & STUDENT IN THE CESSNA 152 THE ACFT WAS LVL AT2000 FT MSL, HAD JUST COMPLETED A LEFT TURN & WAS ABOUT TO BE IN A RIGHT TURN WHEN THE STUDENT, FROM THE LEFT SEAT, SAW ANOTHER ACFT IN HIS EXTREME RIGHT FIELD OF VISION, APPARENTLY FROM ABOVE. THE WINDSHIELD OF THE CESSNA 152 WAS SHATTEREDBY THE EMPENNAGE OF THE CESSNA 120, WHICH SEPARATED IN FLIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE CESSNA 152 WAS A NEW INSTRUCTOR & NEW TO THE AREA. TWO VETERAN PLTS WERE ABOARD THE CESSNA 120, WITH ONE CHECKING OUT IN HIS NEWLY PURCHASED ACFT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/27/1985
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1541
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City IRWINDALE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91706
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 5
Degrees magnetic from airport 45
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1545 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 225
Weather Observation Facility ID EMT
Elevation of weather observation facility 296
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 4
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
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) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
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) 30
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 2
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 836
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 27 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1617
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28064
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
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 N9058Y N65599
NTSB Number LAX85FA123A LAX85FA123B
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 Substantial
Aircraft Fire None Ground
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA CESSNA
Aircraft Model 120 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 120 152
Aircraft Serial Number 10246 15281641
Certified Max Gross Weight 1450 1670
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 2
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jan 26 1984 12:00AM Dec 8 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 51 469
Airframe Hours 33537 29339
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name SHY Y. SMITH GLEN & HELEN AIRCRAFT, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 666 4233 SANTA ANITA ST.
Aircraft Owner City SANTA YNEZ EL MONTE
Aircraft Owner State CA CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93460 91731
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 Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code EMT EMT
Departure City EL MONTE EL MONTE
Departure State CA CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1531 1534
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 Descent Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0 0
Runway Length 0 0
Runway Width 0 0
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --