History of Flight
On October 12, 2014, about 0812 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 170B, registration N3558C, and an experimental amateur-built Pettit Savannah, registration N991TP, collided in midair approximately 12 miles north of Yerington, Nevada. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the Cessna, and the private pilot, the sole occupant of the Savannah, were fatally injured. Both airplanes impacted terrain and were destroyed. Both flights were operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as personal flights. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plans were filed. The Cessna departed from a nearby dry lake bed about 0809, and the Savannah departed about 0811. Both had a planned destination of Carson City, Nevada.
Witnesses at a fly-in located at the dry lake bed observed the Savannah take off about 45 degrees left of the airstrip runway heading and immediately turn left toward the Cessna and another airplane on the downwind leg. The Cessna was heading west while on downwind, and the Savannah was climbing out to the north and turning left, attempting to join up with the Cessna. The airplanes impacted at nearly a perpendicular angle.
According to the pilot of an airplane that had just departed, the three airplanes planned to join up and fly in loose formation. His airplane was lead on downwind, the Cessna was second, and the Savannah was third and last, intending to join the pattern downwind.
Personnel Information
The Savannah pilot, age 28, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent medical certificate, a third-class, was issued on August 30, 2011, with no limitations. On his most recent medical application, he reported 10.9 total flight hours, all within the previous six months. He had logged several hours in the accident airplane, which he purchased the previous month.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, high-wing, amateur-built experimental fixed-gear Pettit Savannah, serial number 04-06-51-297, was manufactured in 2004. It was powered by a Rotax experimental O-360-A4M, 100-hp engine. The airplane's maintenance logbooks were not located.
The Cessna 170B was not described in detail beyond its model and registration.
Meteorological Information
The 0755 automated weather observation at Carson Airport (CXP), Carson City, Nevada, about 27 miles east of the accident site, reported wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 7°C, dew point 2°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of mercury.
Communication and Radar
The accident airplanes were not in contact with Air Traffic Control. The remote, mountainous area provided no radar coverage.
Examination Findings
Examination of the Savannah's airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The damaged portion of the Savannah's vertical stabilizer and rudder matched the width and shape of a flattened portion of the Cessna's wing leading edge. Paint transfer and scratches on the Savannah's right wing indicated a collision angle of about 90 degrees.
Several personal electronic devices were recovered, but none contained information pertinent to the investigation.
Regulatory and Guidance Information
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations [14 CFR 91.113(b)] require each person operating an aircraft to maintain vigilance to see and avoid other aircraft. When aircraft of the same category converge, the aircraft to the other's right has the right-of-way. The FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge notes that pilots should yield if another aircraft appears too close, and discusses blind spots for high-wing and low-wing aircraft. The handbook also recommends clearing procedures during straight-and-level flight and gentle banks during climbs and descents.
A rejoin maneuver, used to form up with another airplane, is complex, requiring continuous monitoring of closure rate, airspeed, altitude, and alignment. According to an Air Force training manual, factors contributing to midair collision potential include failure of the lead airplane to clear or visually monitor the number 2 airplane during a critical phase, and failure of the number 2 airplane to recognize excessive overtake or maintain separation.