Flight Details
A Cessna 172 was flying level at 2,000 feet on an eastbound heading. The pilot noticed a Cessna 150 approaching from the left side at a 90-degree angle (from the north). The Cessna 150 was at an altitude slightly below the Cessna 172.
Collision
The pilot of the Cessna 172 entered a climbing right turn. Subsequently, the two airplanes collided. The collision caused the Cessna 172's right main landing gear to separate, and its right wing and aileron sustained structural damage. Despite the damage, the Cessna 172 remained capable of sustained flight and landed at an airport located approximately 10 miles from the collision area. The Cessna 150 entered an uncontrolled descent and impacted the ground.
Witness Reports
Two witnesses reported sun glare from the west at the time of the accident. One pilot witness, who departed near the same time as the Cessna 150 and flew the same route, stated that the sun was "blinding from [his] 2:00 o'clock to 4:00 o'clock position." He added that visibility to the south and east was 15 miles or greater and the sky was clear of clouds.
Another pilot witness, who departed from the airport where the Cessna 172 landed about 10 minutes before the accident and was traveling on a northwesterly heading, reported observing a "very strong sun glare." He stated that it "seemed impossible to see within plus or minus 15 degrees from the sun's bearing." The witness added that a cold front had passed through the area the day before the accident, and the sky was clear of clouds and haze.