Incident Overview
A Piper PA-28RT-201 and a Cessna 172P were involved in a midair collision while flying parallel westerly courses above a jetty that formed a linear ground reference over open water. The Piper was positioned to the left of the Cessna immediately before the collision.
Aircraft Configurations
The Piper was configured for slow flight, with its flaps extended and landing gear down. The Cessna, in contrast, had its flaps retracted and was flying faster than the Piper.
Collision Sequence
During the encounter, the Cessna's left wing strut struck the Piper's outboard right wing tip. The impact severed the wing tip and bent the remaining outboard portion of the wing spar forward. As a result, the outboard portion of the Piper's right wing was severed.
Environmental Factors
The azimuth and angle of the sun placed it to the left and in front of both airplanes at the time of the collision.