Accident Overview
On a ferry flight from Philadelphia to Reading, a twin-engine airplane was cleared for an approach to runway 31 at Reading-General Spaatz Airport. Fifty-four seconds after the clearance, while at an altitude of 4,500 feet, the airplane collided with a Cessna 195, registered N4377N and owned by the Hagerstown Cash Register Company. The pilot of the Cessna 195 was performing a private flight from Lincoln Park to York, Pennsylvania.
Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, entered a dive, and crashed. All four occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was an inflight collision while descending to Reading Airport after the pilot-in-command failed to see and avoid other aircraft. Contributing factors reported include the pilot of the other aircraft, not being under radar contact, and the absence of a control area.