Incident Overview
A Boeing A75 (registration N55070) and a Vultee BT-13 (registration N176VR) were flying in formation as they approached their destination airport. Upon sighting the airport, the pilots separated to conduct individual landings and subsequently lost visual contact with each other.
Pre-Landing Actions
Both aircraft flew over the airport before landing. The pilots noted that the wind was nearly a 90-degree crosswind. The private airstrip had no UNICOM frequency. The pilot of the BT-13 made radio calls on 122.9 while in the traffic pattern, but the radio in the A75 was inoperative.
The Collision
The pilots landed on opposite directions. The BT-13 pilot landed on Runway 13. He observed the A75 in a left-hand traffic pattern for Runway 31. Initially, he believed the A75 pilot was performing a low pass. However, when the A75 continued its approach and descended below his line of sight, he realized it was landing. The BT-13 pilot turned right to exit the runway, but the left wings of both aircraft struck each other.
Pilot Statements
The A75 pilot reported that because he was landing toward the sun and looking at the wind sock, he did not see the BT-13 until approximately one second before the collision.
Airport Information
The airport featured a segmented circle, which indicated that a right-hand traffic pattern should be used for Runway 31.