Titusville-Cocoa Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Titusville, Florida 32780
Sunday, March 10, 1985 13:00 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A GROUP OF T-6 TYPE ACFT WERE TAKING OFF IN SECTIONS OF TWO ACFT EACH. EACH SECTION OF TWO WERE MAKING A FORMATION TAKEOFF WITH A 5 TO 6 SECOND INTERVAL BETWEEN SECTIONS. N58740 WAS IN THE LEFT POSITION OF THE 2ND SECTION; N9801C WAS IN THE LEFT POSITION OF THE 3RD SECTION. DURING TAKEOFF, AN ACFT IN THE 1ST SECTION HAD AN ENG PROBLEM & THE PLT ABORTED HIS TAKEOFF. HE MADE A RADIO CALL TO NOTIFY THE OTHER PLTS & THE PLTS OF THE 2ND SECTION ABORTED THEIR TAKEOFF. HOWEVER, THE PLT OF N9801C, WHO WAS LEADING THE 3RD SECTION DID NOT HEAR THE RADIO CALL. HIS ACFT HAD POOR FORWARD VISIBILITY WHILE THE TAIL WHEEL WAS ON THE GROUND; THEREFORE, HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE ACFT AHEAD WERE ABORTING UNTIL HE RAISED THE TAIL DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. BY THEN, IT WAS TOO LATE TO AVOID A COLLISION. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LEFT WING OF N9801C STRUCK THE RUDDER & ELEVATORS OF N58740 & BOTH ACFT WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/10/1985
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1300
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City TITUSVILLE
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32780
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? Yes
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport TITUSVILLE-COCOA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID TIX
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 35
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1300 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID TIX
Elevation of weather observation facility 35
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
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) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1200
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 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 471
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 12 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1500
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 27756
Date of most recent change to record Apr 7 2001 12:43PM
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 N9801C N58740
NTSB Number MIA85LA117A MIA85LA117B
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 Substantial
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name NORTH AMERICAN NORTH AMERICAN
Aircraft Model SNJ-5 SNJ-6
Aircraft Series Identifier SNJ-5 SNJ-6
Aircraft Serial Number 90669 112114
Certified Max Gross Weight 5300 5300
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 Retractable Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 1 1985 12:00AM --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0 20
Airframe Hours 5600 7130
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name CARL E. SCHWENKER CLARENCE H. RATLIFF
Aircraft Owner Street Address 165 LAKESIDE EAST P.O. BOX 1545
Aircraft Owner City DAYTONA BEACH LIVE OAK
Aircraft Owner State FL FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 32014 32060
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No Yes
Operator Street Address 655 CLYDE MORRIS BLVD.
Operator City DAYTONA BEACH
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 32014
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 TIX TIX
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1300 1300
Departure Time Zone EST EST
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 Takeoff Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:07AM Feb 26 2001 8:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 9 9
Runway Length 5001 5001
Runway Width 100 100
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --