Incident Overview
On a routine flight from Fort Lauderdale to Tallahassee, a twin-engine airplane carrying three passengers and a pilot collided with a United States Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II. The collision occurred outside the boundaries of restricted airspace while both aircraft were operating under visual flight rules. The civilian aircraft crashed in the Brighton Indian Reserve, killing all four occupants. The F-4E, part of a formation of three fighters on a routine exercise, had departed Homestead Air Force Base with two pilots under the call sign "Reed 11." One pilot was killed; the other ejected successfully and was injured. Both aircraft were destroyed.
Sequence of Events
The Cessna was cruising at an altitude of 12,500 feet in good weather conditions when it collided with the descending F-4E. The fighter was en route to enter a restricted area for low-level gunnery practice. The collision occurred outside the restricted airspace boundaries. Following the impact, the Cessna dove into the ground, and the F-4E also crashed.
Investigation Findings
The official probable cause was determined to be the failure of the pilots of the Reed 11 flight to maintain adequate vigilance to see and avoid the light aircraft. Additionally, an inconsistency was noted between Base Supplement 1 to Tactical Air Command Manual 55-4, which allowed a visual flight rules descent into the Avon Park gunnery range, and Air Force Regulation 60-16, which required all flights to be conducted under instrument flight rules unless doing so would contribute to the accident. This inconsistency was deemed unacceptable mission derogation by Homestead Air Force.