Incident
A Cessna 170A, which had departed Albany, Georgia under visual flight rules without a flight plan for Athens, Georgia, settled onto a Cessna R172K during the 170's landing flare. The R172K had been engaged in local flying from Athens Airport and had returned from airwork to perform a full-stop landing. During its landing roll, the pilot reported that the airplane suddenly yawed 90 degrees to the left and skidded down the runway to a stop. Upon exiting his airplane, the pilot saw the Cessna 170 resting on his tail.
Pilot Reports
The pilot of the Cessna 170 stated that he began contacting the Athens air traffic control tower approximately 10 miles out and continued reporting his position until he was half a mile on final approach. He reported that he did not see the Cessna R172K because it was directly below him. His airplane settled onto the other aircraft during the flare for landing.
Chart Information
The VFR chart current at the time depicted Athens as a controlled airport with an airport traffic area, but the table in the chart legend indicated that the air traffic control tower was closed until further notice. The tower had been closed since 1981.