Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hollister, Oklahoma 73551
Tuesady, January 18, 2005 11:28 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A U.S. Air Force twin jet military trainer, a Cessna T-37B, and a single-engine agricultural aircraft, an Air Tractor AT-502B, were destroyed following a midair collision during cruise flight. The training jet was returning to its home military base after a training flight. The training jet had climbed VFR to 5,500 feet msl, and then was instructed to descend to 5,000 feet msl on a 100 degree magnetic heading. After about a minute or less of level flight at 5,000 feet msl, the T-37B impacted the agricultural aircraft which was flying on a heading of about 355 to 005 degrees magnetic. The radar approach control facility that was providing radar services to the T-37B did not have radar recording capability, therefore, no radar track data was available for analysis. Air traffic controllers who were working the T-37B reported seeing the T-37B at 5,000 feet on their radar displays prior to the mid-air collision. The air traffic controllers reported that they did not observe primary radar returns on the AT-502B. The AT-502B was a factory new aircraft that was being ferried to South Dakota. It was not equipped with radios or a transponder. The magnetic heading and altitudes flown by the AT-502B pilot are unknown due to the lack of radar data. The T-37B instructor pilot reported there was an overcast ceiling around 6,000 to 6,500 feet msl, and that the visibility at 5,500 feet msl was about 3 miles due to haze. The VFR cruising altitudes, as prescribed in FAR 91.159, for level cruising flight for 3,000 feet above the surface and below 18,000 feet MSL are as follows: "(1) On a magnetic course of zero degrees through 179 degrees, any odd thousand foot MSL altitude +500 feet (such as 3,500, 5,500, or 7,500); or (2) On a magnetic course of 180 degrees through 359 degrees, any even thousand foot MSL altitude +500 feet (such as 4,500, 6,500, or 8,500)." The airspace at the accident location is designated as Class E airspace. Class E airspace is defined by the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) as: "generally, if the airspace is not Class A, Class B, Class D, and it is controlled airspace, it is Class E airspace." No specific pilot certification or specific aircraft equipment is required to fly in Class E airspace. No separation services are provided to VFR aircraft operating in Class E airspace.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilots of the T-37B and AT-502B the failed to maintain adequate visual lookout and did not maintain clearance from the other aircraft. Contributing factors included the lack of a transponder and radios on the AT-502B and the reduced visibility due to haze.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/18/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1128 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Hollister |
| Event State | OKLAHOMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 73551 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 342040N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0984850W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1153 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FDR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1255 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.53 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19945 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 18 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 31 2006 10:47AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Oklahoma City, OK FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | 66-8003 | N8526M |
| NTSB Number | CHI05FA055A | CHI05FA055B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Armed Forces | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes | No |
| Damage | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna | Air Tractor |
| Aircraft Model | T-37B | AT-502B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 66-8003 | 502B-2570 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7000 | 9700 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 2 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2004 12:00AM | Jan 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 403 | 0.5 |
| Airframe Hours | 17306 | 2 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | No |
| ELT Activated | Yes | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | 89th Flying Training Wing, USAF | Frost Flying Service |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | Sheppard AFB | 3393wy 121 West |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wichita | Mariane |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX | AR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76311 | 72360 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | 90th Flying Training Squadron, USAF | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | Sheppard Air Force Base | -- |
| Operator City | Wichita Falls | -- |
| Operator State | TX | -- |
| Operator Country | -- | -- |
| Operator Zip code | 76311 | -- |
| 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) | -- | Ferry |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SPS | ONY |
| Departure City | Sheppard AFB | Olney |
| Departure State | TX | TX |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1022 | 1100 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- | HUT |
| Destination City | -- | Hutchinson |
| Destination State | -- | KS |
| 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 | Apr 28 2008 11:55AM | Apr 19 2006 8:21AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG | SULP |
| 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 | -- | -- |