Incident Overview
A mid-air collision took place at an uncontrolled airport involving a S-2B and a C-172. Both aircraft were maneuvering to land on runway 17R. The S-2B was executing right traffic as published, while the C-172 was on a long final or an arcing left turn to final. The accident occurred during late afternoon, with considerable sun glare present.
Collision Sequence
The S-2B emerged from the direction of the sun and struck the right side of the C-172's empennage, resulting in the tail being severed. At the time of impact, the C-172 was wings level in a slight descent. The S-2B was in a right bank, with a slightly nose-high attitude, also descending. Following the collision, the C-172 crashed into an open field. The S-2B regained control and landed without further damage.
Witness and Pilot Accounts
Witnesses reported that the C-172 did not take evasive action prior to the collision. The pilots of the S-2B stated that they did not see the C-172 until after the impact. The airport manager did not recall hearing either aircraft transmit on the UNICOM frequency.
Visibility Factors
The sun glare would have made it difficult for the C-172 to visually acquire the S-2B, and restricted visibility out of the S-2B affected its pilots' visual acquisition of the C-172.