Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rootstown, Ohio 44272
Friday, October 14, 2005 14:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A Lancair 235 airplane and a Cessna 172L airplane were destroyed when they collided in midair during day visual meteorological conditions. The Lancair departed on a personal flight from an airport approximately 38 miles south of the accident site, for a destination airport about 8 miles north-northwest of the accident site. Radar track data depicted the Lancair's flight path as north-northeast, on a direct path to the destination airport, at an altitude between 2,200 to 2,500 feet msl. The Cessna departed an airport about 15 miles west-southwest of the accident site, and flew eastbound with a flight instructor and dual student on an instrument training flight. Radar data indicated that the flight had numerous heading and altitude changes, consistent with the training mission. According to radar track data, during the final minute prior to the collision, the Lancair was on true course of about 356 degrees, with a ground speed of approximately 145 knots. The Cessna was on a true course of about 295 degrees, with a ground speed of approximately 100 knots, and an altitude of 2,300 feet. The relative angle as extrapolated from radar data, indicates that the Cessna would have been positioned about 45 degrees to the right of the Lancair's nose, and the Lancair would have been approximately 80 degrees to the left of the Cessna's nose. A witness to the accident stated that both airplanes appeared to be in straight and level flight prior to impact. Neither airplane was under air traffic control. Federal Air Regulations state that vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft. Postaccident inspection disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies with either airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of both pilots to maintain an adequate visual lookout during cruise flight, which resulted in their failure to see and avoid each other and a midair collision.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/14/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1405 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Rootstown |
| Event State | OHIO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 44272 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 410557N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0811154W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | 1354 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 265 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AKR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1067 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21094 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 14 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 26 2007 9:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Cleveland FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N235U | N7768G |
| NTSB Number | CHI06FA010A | CHI06FA010B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| 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 | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Plavcan | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | Lancair 235 | 172L |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 001 | 17259468 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1575 | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 2004 12:00AM | Sep 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 16.7 | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 381.4 | 4519 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | -- | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | John P. Plavcan | Hobart Aviation Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- | P. O. Box 682 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Newbury | Brunswick |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 44065 | 44212 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes | No |
| Operator Name | -- | American Winds Flight Academy, Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- | 1600 Triplett Blvd. |
| Operator City | -- | Akron |
| Operator State | -- | OH |
| Operator Country | -- | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- | 44306 |
| 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) | Personal | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TSO | AKR |
| Departure City | Carrollton | Akron |
| Departure State | OH | OH |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1345 | 1315 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 29G | -- |
| Destination City | Ravenna | -- |
| Destination State | OH | -- |
| Destination Country | USA | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 26 2007 9:50AM | Jan 26 2007 9:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA | NA |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |