What happened
The incident occurred while both aircraft were operating under visual flight rules in the vicinity of active airports. The Cessna 402 was conducting a cruise descent, while the Decathlon was maintaining level flight. Neither pilot in the Cessna 402 recalled seeing the Decathlon prior to impact, which struck the right wing of the smaller aircraft.
The pilot of the Decathlon took evasive action to avoid a head-on collision. Both pilots stated that prior to the mid-air collision, they were occupied with watching a military C5A transport aircraft operating in the same area. After hearing an explosion in the nose area of the Cessna 402, the crew elected to return to Teterboro Airport and landed uneventfully approximately 20 minutes later.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances leading to the collision. It was determined that the pilots of both aircraft were distracted by observing a military transport aircraft in the vicinity. This distraction likely contributed to the failure to see and avoid the other aircraft.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the loss of visual scanning due to external distractions. The pilots' attention was diverted to a military C5A transport aircraft, which prevented them from maintaining proper lookout for other traffic in the area. This lapse in situational awareness resulted in the mid-air collision.