Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042
Friday, August 22, 2003 17:26 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Cessna and Piper airplanes were destroyed when they impacted terrain after a mid-air collision. Both the Cessna and Piper aircraft were flying beneath the positively controlled Class B airspace of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Both airplanes were operating under visual flight rules, and both airplanes were transmitting the 1200 VFR beacon code on their respective transponders. Neither airplane was required to be in radio contact with air traffic control. The student pilot in the Cessna who survived the accident reported that the CFI let him take the flight controls while they were flying straight and level. He reported that he was flying the airplane and was looking straight ahead, trying to maintain straight and level flight. He reported that the CFI put her hand on the throttle and started explaining a climb procedure. He reported that while the CFI was explaining the climb procedure, the airplane was hit by another airplane on the right side. He reported that he never saw the other airplane before the impact and that he didn't think the CFI saw it either. He reported that the CFI did not grab the controls or make any "violent maneuvers" prior to the impact. Radar data indicated that the Cessna departed Downtown St. Paul Airport (STP) at approximately 1719 to the northwest and turned right to an easterly heading, paralleling interstate highway I-94 to the east. The Cessna climbed to approximately 2,300-2,400 feet pressure altitude about 4 minutes after takeoff and remained at that altitude until impact, approximately 2 minutes later. The Cessna was traveling approximately 98 knots average ground speed during the 2 minutes prior to impact. The Piper departed South St. Paul Municipal Airport (SGS) at approximately 1719. Approximately 4 minutes after takeoff, the Piper turned to the northeast on a heading of about 027 degrees. The Piper climbed from about 1,900 feet pressure altitude to about 2,300 feet pressure altitude during the 2 minutes prior to impact. The relative bearing between the Piper and the Cessna was about 60 degrees. The radar data indicated the Piper was traveling at approximately 107 knots average ground speed during the 2 minutes prior to impact. Approximately 36 inches of the Cessna's outboard right wing structure was found lodged in the wing root of the Piper's left wing, and was located with the main wreckage of the Piper. The Piper's left wing exhibited a span-wise crease about five feet long in the lower wing skins forward of the flap. The Cessna's right wing leading edge had two distinct dents that were spaced a similar distance apart as the Piper's wing tie-down ring and jack pad. The aft left side of the Piper's fuselage in the vicinity of the registration number exhibited black, rubber-like transfer marks. The right tire from the Cessna's main landing gear had white scuff marks on the right side of the tire.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Both pilots failed to maintain adequate visual lookout and did not maintain clearance from the other aircraft.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/22/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1726 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lake Elmo |
| Event State | MINNESOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 55042 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 445712N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0925300W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 250 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | STP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 705 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17264 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 22 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 24 2005 9:13AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Minneapolis FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N53033 | N38416 |
| NTSB Number | CHI03FA284A | CHI03FA284B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | 172S | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172S9258 | 28-7790549 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 | 2550 |
| 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 | Jul 18 2003 12:00AM | Nov 1 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 78 | 240 |
| Airframe Hours | 559 | 7792 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | B & P Aircraft LLC. | Prescott Flying Club |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 23 Landau Alcove | 1600 Ercoupe Lane |
| Aircraft Owner City | Woodbury | South St. Paul |
| Aircraft Owner State | MN | MN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 55125 | 55075 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | Wings, Inc. | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | St. Paul Downtown Airport | -- |
| Operator City | St. Paul | -- |
| Operator State | MN | -- |
| Operator Country | USA | -- |
| Operator Zip code | 55107 | -- |
| 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 | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | STP | SGS |
| Departure City | St. Paul | South St. Paul |
| Departure State | MN | MN |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1719 | 1719 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- | BFW |
| Destination City | -- | Silver Bay |
| Destination State | -- | MN |
| Destination Country | -- | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA | NA |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |