Aircraft and Occupants
A Cessna 120, registration N9058Y, and a Cessna 152, registration N65599, were involved in a midair collision. Each aircraft carried one instructor and one student pilot. The Cessna 120 had two veteran pilots aboard, with one checking out his newly purchased aircraft. The Cessna 152 was flown by a new instructor who was also new to the area.
Sequence of Events
Both aircraft departed from the controlled El Monte Airport within three minutes of each other. The Cessna 152 was still outbound in a northerly direction, while the Cessna 120 had called the tower requesting landing instructions when the collision occurred.
According to the instructor and student in the Cessna 152, their aircraft was level at 2,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) and had just completed a left turn. As they were about to initiate a right turn, the student, seated in the left seat, observed another aircraft in his extreme right field of vision, apparently approaching from above.
Collision and Aftermath
The empennage of the Cessna 120 struck and shattered the windshield of the Cessna 152. The Cessna 120 broke up in flight, resulting in fatal injuries to both pilots. The Cessna 152 made a successful emergency landing, and its occupants survived.
The collision occurred in the practice area for the El Monte, California airport.