Midair Collision at Moffett Airbase Involving a Convair and a P-3C Orion (N711NA)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Involved A Convair aircraft was conducting a local test flight from Moffett Airbase. The aircraft carried three crew members and eight NASA scientists who were testing survey equipment over Monterey Bay. A U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C-125-LO Orion, registered 157332, was also operating in the area, completing a local training flight with six crew members on board. ## Approach and Collision After an uneventful mission, the Convair crew began its approach and was cleared to land on runway 32R while seven miles from the airport. The Orion crew later informed air traffic control that it was joining the approach path for runway 32L. The controller then cleared the Convair crew to land on runway 32L. Shortly afterward, at an altitude of about 300 feet, the Convair’s nose gear struck the top of the Orion’s tail. Both aircraft lost control and crashed in flames on the Sunnyvale golf course, about 0.3 mile short of the runway threshold. ## Casualties One Orion crew member was seriously injured. All 16 other occupants on both aircraft were killed. ## Official Findings The official investigation determined that the collision resulted from several errors by the approach controller. The controller initially cleared the Convair for runway 32R and the Orion for runway 32L. After the Orion crew confirmed it was joining the runway 32L approach path, the controller cleared the Convair for the same runway. For reasons undetermined, the Convair crew did not question the runway change. The investigation also found that none of the crew members was able to see and avoid the other aircraft.