FlightFinder
Casualties unknown

2012-08-25: — Tallinna lähiala, EE

Tallinna lähiala, EE

On August 25, 2012, an aircraft was involved in an aviation accident near Tallinna lähiala, EE. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The near mid-air collision was caused by the **Cessna 172** performing a turn that placed it directly in the path of the oncoming **Beechcraft Bonanza** at a similar altitude, compounded by the failure to maintain adequate vertical separation and the lack of… This summary draws on records from the Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau (OJK).

Sourcesthe Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau (OJK)Primary reportUpdated 1781031101Data APIEditorial standards

A Cessna 172 and a Beechcraft Bonanza experienced a dangerous close encounter near Tallinn, Estonia, with a horizontal separation of only 222 meters.

What happened

On August 25, 2012, at 11:14 local time, two light aircraft operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) experienced a dangerous close encounter in the vicinity of Tallinn. The first aircraft, a Cessna 172 with registration ES-ECY, was performing a touch-and-go maneuver on runway 26 at Tallinn Airport. Due to incoming IFR traffic, the pilot was directed to the South holding pattern.

Shortly thereafter, a Beechcraft Bonanza, registration ES-MHG, was cleared to depart from runway 26 toward Vaida. Both aircraft were operating at a maximum permitted altitude of 1,200 feet. During the maneuver, the pilot of the Cessna 172 initiated a left turn within the holding pattern, intending to maintain visual contact with the other aircraft.

The pilot of the Beechcraft Bonanza, aware that his flight path through the South holding pattern would intersect with the Cessna 172, requested permission from Tallinn Tower to climb to 2,000 feet to increase vertical separation. This request was denied. As the Beechcraft Bonanza approached the holding area, the controller confirmed the position of the Cessna 172, but the latter did not report its altitude.

Upon spotting the other aircraft at a similar altitude, the pilot of the Beechamcraft Bonanza unilaterally increased his altitude to 1,400 feet. However, the Cessna 172 continued its turn, crossing the path of the oncoming aircraft and passing underneath it. The Cessna 172 did not perform any evasive maneuvers. Radar data confirmed that at the moment of closest approach, the horizontal separation was only 0.12 nautical miles (approximately 222 meters) and the vertical separation was just 206 feet (63 meters).

The investigation

The investigation utilized radar data from Tallinn Airport and recorded radar imagery to reconstruct the flight paths. Altitude information was obtained via Mode C transponder data, with coordinates for the Beechcraft Bonanza interpolated to match the timing of the Cessna 172. Both crews confirmed that the reconstructed trajectories and interception angles matched their actual flight paths.

Probable cause

The near mid-air collision was caused by the **Cessna 172** performing a turn that placed it directly in the path of the oncoming **Beechcraft Bonanza** at a similar altitude, compounded by the failure to maintain adequate vertical separation and the lack of altitude reporting by the **Cessna 172** crew.

More accident analyses