Accident Overview
On October 23, 2015, at approximately 1015 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 310C (registration N310CD) and a Piper PA-28-200 (registration N9475N) collided in midair about 5 nautical miles south of Primm, Nevada. Both aircraft were operating under visual meteorological conditions in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and no flight plans had been filed. The Cessna had departed Henderson Executive Airport (HND) at about 0915, and the Piper had departed HND at about 0950.
Pilot Statements
The Cessna's certified flight instructor (CFI), seated in the right pilot seat, and the pilot/owner receiving instruction, in the left seat, reported no injuries. The CFI stated that while providing instruction in approach configurations at 6,500 feet mean sea level on a magnetic heading of 340 degrees, he observed a small dot ahead and, just before impact, saw an approaching airplane. He opined that the pilot/owner may have made a slight nose-down control input before the collision. After assessing damage, the CFI contacted the HND control tower, reported the collision, and indicated he would return to HND. The Cessna subsequently landed at HND without further incident.
The Piper's pilot, the sole occupant, also reported no injuries. He stated that he was level at 6,500 feet msl on a southwest heading performing engine power checks when he heard a loud bang as he initiated or was already in a left turn. After impact, he observed another airplane flying away and later heard a radio transmission to HND tower from a pilot reporting a midair collision. The Piper pilot experienced a loss of engine power and elected to land on a dry lake bed. During the landing roll, he had no right brake because the right main landing gear brake line had been compromised by the collision. Fuel was also dripping from the right side due to a compromised fuel line.
Damage and Aftermath
Postaccident examination of the Cessna revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder, resulting in a jammed rudder. The Piper sustained substantial damage to the right wing's forward wing root area and the left horizontal stabilizer. Both aircraft landed without further incident; the Piper landed on a dry lake bed.
Communication and Procedures
According to a local Federal Aviation Administration operations aviation safety inspector who interviewed the pilots, the accident area near Jean Airport (0LF) in Jean, Nevada, is widely used for training. A common practice is for pilots in the area to use the 0LF Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) 122.9 to make position reports and monitor other aircraft. The inspector reported that none of the three pilots (the two in the Cessna and the one in the Piper) used the 0LF CTAF frequency at any time before the accident; they were monitoring the HND control tower frequency.
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook states: "Collision Avoidance: All pilots must be alert to the potential for midair collision and near midair collision. This concept requires that vigilance shall be maintained at all times, by each person operating an aircraft regardless of whether the operation is conducted under instrument flight rules (IFR) or visual flight rules (VFR). Most midair collision accidents and reported near midair collision incidents occur in good VFR weather conditions, and during the hours of daylight. Most of these accident/incidents occur within 5 miles of an airport, and/or near navigation aids."