Accident Overview
On September 16, 2024, at 0946 Pacific daylight time, a Globe Swift GC-1B (Swift), N78074, and a Textron Aviation Cessna T206H Station Air (Cessna), N844CP, were substantially damaged when they collided near the Minden-Tahoe Airport (KMEV), Minden, Nevada. The Swift pilot was fatally injured, while the Cessna pilot and instructor pilot were not injured. The Swift was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight, and the Cessna was on a Part 91 instructional flight.
Cessna Flight Details
The left-seated pilot of the Cessna reported that the flight's purpose was a Form 5 check-ride, demonstrating maneuvers including an RNAV 34 instrument approach and a short-field landing on Runway 34. After a touch-and-go, the airplane climbed on crosswind at 5,300 feet mean sea level (msl) toward the downwind leg, with a planned traffic pattern altitude (TPA) of 5,700 feet msl. At 09:46:37, the pilot heard a radio call from another airplane stating it was on a 45° intercept for the downwind leg of Runway 34. Both pilots scanned for traffic but could not locate the other aircraft. The Cessna pilot was making a position call when the airplane impacted the Swift at about 5,400 feet msl. He initially believed the engine or propeller had failed.
After impact, the windscreen was covered in oil, and the nose cowling pinned against it, limiting visibility to the oil door. The instructor pilot assumed control and made an emergency landing on Runway 12. The Cessna pilot noted that the weather was overcast at 8,000 feet msl but clear below, with no glare.
Recorded Garmin G1000 data from the Cessna showed departure from Minden at 0908, maneuvers south of the airport, and a return overflying Runway 34 at 0941 at 5,700 feet msl. The airplane entered the crosswind leg about 1 nautical mile north of the approach end of Runway 16, then turned left onto downwind at 5,825 feet msl over US-395. After a touch-and-go at 0945:20, the airplane turned crosswind at 0946:25 at 5,225 feet msl. ADS-B data then indicated a left turn and descent toward Runway 12.
Swift Flight Details
A friend of the Swift pilot stated that the pilot texted him at 0925 saying he was moving his airplane from Pinenut Airport (NV55), Gardnerville, Nevada, to KMEV before an incoming storm. The friend, waiting at KMEV, described the pilot's typical flight path: west from NV55, then north along the mountain range, then a radio call for a 45° intercept of the downwind leg for Runway 34, crossing US-395 and joining a close-in pattern. The friend emphasized the pilot was diligent about traffic scanning.
The Swift was not equipped with ADS-B, and no radar data was available. Investigators found flight tracks from a July 20, 2024 flight by the same pilot from NV55 to KMEV, which the friend confirmed as the normal pattern. It was presumed the accident flight followed a similar path.
Video and Audio Evidence
Multiple cameras captured footage. An airport security camera showed the Cessna on crosswind ascending and the Swift arriving from Jack's Valley, northwest of KMEV. A dashcam from a vehicle on US-395 showed the Swift crossing from west to east over the freeway at a slightly higher altitude than the Cessna just before impact. After impact, the Swift erupted in flames and fell nearly vertically. It could not be determined if either aircraft made evasive maneuvers or had navigation/strobe lights illuminated.
Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) recordings revealed that eleven minutes before the accident, the Cessna pilot transmitted intentions for touch-and-go practice. Subsequent position reports included downwind, base, and final approach for Runway 34. At 09:46:36, the Swift pilot reported being on a 45-degree intercept to the downwind leg for Runway 34. Ten seconds later, the Cessna pilot transmitted they were on "crosswind to left…" The collision likely occurred during that transmission, at 09:46:53. At 09:48:02, the Cessna pilot reported loss of engine power and being on the runway. Twenty-eight seconds later, the right-seat pilot reported a mid-air collision and requested medical and fire services.
Wreckage Examination
The Swift's main wreckage was located 1 nautical mile from the approach end of Runway 16, on a heading of 290°, with significant fire damage to the cockpit and inboard wings. The landing gear was retracted. The propeller remained attached and undamaged. The tail section was found 450 feet away, missing the bottom tail cone, outboard right elevator, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder. The debris field stretched over 1,025 feet and contained intermingled parts from both aircraft. Many debris pieces were coated with red hydraulic oil from the Cessna's propeller hub.
The Cessna had one propeller blade separated from the hub, with the main portion in the debris field and the tip lodged in the firewall. The engine was canted to the right due to broken mounts. Investigation revealed the Swift's tailwheel and mounting lodged entirely under the Cessna's engine. The Cessna's front-right engine mount had broken away and was found near the tailwheel, having punctured the tunnel.