What happened
During a local training mission at Memphis Airport, a twin-engine aircraft was executing various maneuvers. While the crew was maintaining an altitude of 2,000 feet and circling within the airport traffic pattern, the plane struck a Cessna 150, identified by registration N6423K. The Cessna 150 was occupied by two pilots at the time of the impact.
Immediately following the collision, both aircraft lost control and entered a descent. The planes crashed approximately 3.8 miles west of the airport. The accident resulted in six fatalities, accounting for all occupants from both participating aircraft.
Findings
Official investigations determined that the mid-air collision during the approach phase was primarily driven by ineffective coordination between air traffic controllers. Several contributing elements were identified in the sequence of events:
- The pilot-in-command did not successfully identify or avoid the other aircraft.
- Air traffic control provided insufficient separation between the two planes.
- Controllers failed to provide necessary traffic advisories to the pilots.
- There was a lack of evasive maneuvers performed by the crew.
- A controller at Falcon incorrectly assumed that proper coordination had been established between local controllers.