Overview
A Cessna 180K and a Beech 95-B55 were involved in a head-on collision while cruising over a valley at an altitude between 1,500 and 2,000 feet above ground level. The collision occurred on a clear day approximately 6 miles west of Tehachapi Airport, from which the Beech pilot had departed. Neither pilot was receiving services from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Flight Paths
Radar track data indicated that the Cessna had flown in a southeasterly direction after departing the Bakersfield area. Minutes before the collision, the Cessna pilot changed to a northerly course, and seconds prior initiated a northeasterly turn. The Beech pilot had just configured the airplane for a cruise climb and was flying westerly toward Bakersfield. The Cessna was traveling at about 135 knots, and the Beech at about 140 knots, resulting in a closing speed of approximately 275 knots (just over 4 miles per minute).
Collision Details
The Cessna was equipped with a Mode S transponder, and its signal was detected by a Traffic Collision Alerting Device (TCAD) installed in the Beech. Seconds before the collision, the Beech pilot heard the audible "traffic" alert in his headset and observed an illuminated target on the annunciator. The target was within 200 feet of the Beech's altitude and in the 1 to 2 o'clock position. The Beech pilot reported searching for the target but did not see it.
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the impact occurred when the Cessna's right main landing gear wheel punctured the Beech's right-side front windscreen. As the Cessna's landing gear passed through the upper portion of the Beech's fuselage, the right wing's lift strut was lacerated upon striking the leading edge of the Beech's vertical stabilizer. This caused the Cessna's right wing to separate, and the airplane descended to ground impact. The Beech sustained a punctured windscreen and fuselage but made a precautionary landing without further incident.
Post-Impact Analysis
An evaluation of the pilots' visual angles determined that both airplanes were within each pilot's field of vision at the time of the collision. No probable cause was identified in the source material.