What happened
On September 9, 2009, at approximately 0945 mountain standard time, a Cessna 152, registration N94741, collided with a Piper PA-28-161, registration N994T, near Coolidge, Arizona. The collision occurred at approximately 4,500 feet MSL.
The Piper PA-28 was being operated by a flight school and was performing a training flight. The crew, consisting of a flight instructor and a student, was in the process of entering a holding pattern for a GPS approach to Runway 23 at Casa Grande Airport. The student pilot had recently completed a touch-and-go landing and was transitioning to the holding pattern. The crew had been making radio calls on the local traffic advisory frequency and the southeast practice area frequency.
The Cessna 152, operated by Air Safety Flight Academy, was performing a cross-country flight. After departing Coolidge Municipal Airport, the pilots had decided to perform several touch-and-go landings. During the climb following a landing, the aircraft was on a ground track of approximately 265 degrees.
During the collision, the right wing of the N94741 struck the engine cowl of the Piper, and the Piper's left main landing gear impacted the right side of the Cessna's fuselage. The impact caused the Cessna's right wing to separate and its tail section to detach. The Cessna entered an uncontrolled descent, and the pilot in the left seat was ejected from the aircraft. The aircraft subsequently impacted a dirt field in an inverted position. The collision resulted in 1 fatal injury and 1 serious injury.
The occupants of the Piper PA-2able performed a power-off forced landing in a nearby field. The crew of the Piper was not injured.