Accident Details
A single-engine airplane and a multi-engine business jet collided at the intersection of two nearly perpendicular runways at a non-towered airport. The single-engine airplane, piloted by a private pilot, was departing on a local flight from runway 15. At the same time, the business jet, operated by an airline transport pilot, was landing on runway 22 following a straight-in visual approach. The collision occurred when the single-engine airplane struck the empennage of the jet.
Pilot Actions and Communications
Witnesses in the airport lounge area reported hearing the pilot of the single-engine airplane announce on the airport's UNICOM traffic advisory frequency a few minutes before the accident that the airplane was back-taxiing on the runway. The pilot of the jet did not recall making any radio transmissions on the UNICOM frequency, and review of the jet's cockpit voice recorder revealed no incoming or outgoing calls on that frequency. Both pilots were familiar with the airport, which was not tower controlled. The airport had signage on all runways indicating that traffic using the nearly perpendicular runway could not be seen and instructing pilots to monitor the UNICOM.
Visibility and Equipment
A visibility assessment confirmed reduced visibility of traffic operating from the nearly perpendicular runways. The reported weather conditions around the time of the accident included clear skies with 4 miles visibility due to haze. Both airplanes were painted white. Although the jet was equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), the pilot reported that the system did not depict any conflicting traffic during the approach. The investigation could not determine if or at what point during their respective landing and takeoff the pilots might have been able to see each other due to reduced visibility, the white paint of both aircraft, and the reported haze.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was the failure of both pilots to see and avoid the other airplane as they converged on intersecting runways. Contributing to the accident was the jet pilot's not monitoring the airport's traffic advisory frequency, known reduced visibility of the intersecting runways, and hazy weather condition.