Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pineville Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Alexandria, Louisiana 71303
Saturday, October 10, 2009 14:40 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Two airplanes departed as a formation to perform a low pass followed by a full-stop landing at the destination airport. Both pilots had flown formation together, but neither were formally trained. After performing the low pass, the formation began a climb to enter the downwind pattern to land. The wingman was positioned slightly aft and below lead and to the right, spaced approximately 100 feet. The lead radioed his intention to start a right turn. The wingman was not comfortable with his position in relation to lead so he radioed that lead should not turn "too hard" to the right. Following the radio call the lead airplane was observed to enter a 45-degree right-bank turn. The wingman initiated a climb and rolled to the right in an attempt to obtain spacing away from the lead; the airplanes then collided. A photo from a photographer depicted the post-collision sequence. The lead's airplane was damaged to the extent that controlled flight would not have been possible, with a missing vertical fin and a structurally damaged right wing. The wingman's airplane engine stopped following impact of the wingman's propeller with the wing spar of the lead's airplane. Both airplanes impacted a heavily wooded area. An examination of both airplanes and engines did not reveal any preimpact anomalies. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular AC 90-48B, Pilot's Role in Collision Avoidance, cautions general aviation pilots of several key points of flying in formation to include "avoid attempting formation flight without having obtained instruction and attained the skill necessary for conducting such operations." Toxicology findings performed on the lead pilot were consistent with recent use of two different prescription muscle relaxants. The investigation could not determine whether sedation from the use of those medications or distraction from the condition for which he was taking them may have impaired the pilot’s decision-making on the day of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Failure of the wingman to maintain proper separation from the lead airplane during formation maneuvers. Contributing to the accident was lead's abrupt right bank and both pilots' lack of formation training.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/10/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1440 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Alexandria |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71303 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Pineville Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 2L0 |
| 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 | 1453 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 257 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AEX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 89 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1300 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.08 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26713 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SW ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 26 2010 11:49AM |
| User who most recently changed record | guzj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8642S | N8072F |
| NTSB Number | CEN10FA011A | CEN10FA011B |
| 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? | No | No |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 150F | 150F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15061942 | 15064172 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 | 1600 |
| 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 | 4 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 8 2009 12:00AM | Mar 5 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 26 | 35 |
| Airframe Hours | 5899 | 4330 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C91-A | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OLEARY THOMAS | NEWELL LAWRENCE L |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 58 DAY RD | 147 OLD MONCLA HWY |
| Aircraft Owner City | DEVILLE | MARKSVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 71328-9202 | 71351 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Name | OLEARY THOMAS | NEWELL LAWRENCE L |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 58 DAY RD | 147 OLD MONCLA HWY |
| Operator City | DEVILLE | MARKSVILLE |
| Operator State | LA | LA |
| Operator Country | USA | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 71328-9202 | 71351 |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| 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 | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ESF | ESF |
| Departure City | Alexandria | Alexandria |
| Departure State | LA | LA |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1435 | 1435 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 2L0 | 2L0 |
| Destination City | Alexandria | Alexandria |
| Destination State | LA | LA |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 11 2010 4:37PM | Jan 11 2010 4:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | aguj | aguj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |