Fatal Midair Collision Near Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport (N4484)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Involved During a descent to Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport, a Cessna 421 was instructed by air traffic control to initiate a go-around because a private Cessna 172, registered N739DV, was on the runway. The Cessna 172 was operated by a sole pilot who was completing a local touch-and-go maneuver. Twenty seconds after the go-around instruction, ATC informed the Cessna 421 pilot that the Cessna 172 was on his right. The two aircraft subsequently collided and crashed near the airport, bursting into flames. All six occupants in both aircraft were killed. ## Official Findings The official probable cause was an in-flight collision during a go-around after the pilot failed to see and avoid other aircraft. Contributing factors included ATC issuing improper or conflicting instructions and inadequate spacing of aircraft on part of ATC.