Incident Overview
A Cessna 152 and a Cessna 182 collided nearly head-on at an altitude of 2600 feet, approximately three miles northeast of the airport. The collision occurred as both aircraft were conducting approaches to Runway 22.
Flight Paths
The pilot of the Cessna 152 was maneuvering the aircraft to perform a long straight-in approach to Runway 22. At the time of the collision, the 152 was northeast bound and in a climb. The pilot of the Cessna 182 was flying a visual approach to Runway 22 using NDB approach procedures. The 182 was southwest bound, had just passed the NDB inbound to the field, and had begun a descent when the collision occurred.
Pilot Actions and Impact
The pilot of the 152 saw the 182 a split second before impact and initiated an evasive dive. According to the pilot of the 182, he saw the 152 about 50 feet below him and slightly left of his course, but did not have sufficient time to begin an evasive maneuver. The left main wheel of the Cessna 182 contacted the vertical stabilizer of the Cessna 152, resulting in the separation of the 152's rudder.
Communications
Both pilots were using the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) at the time of the incident. The flight instructor for both pilots, who was also flying in the area at the time, reported that the pilot of the 152 had not made any position reports on the CTAF. Additionally, the pilot of the 152 reported difficulties hearing traffic information provided by UNICOM.