What happened
On the day of the accident, a Cessna 207A, registration N800GA, was en route to its company base. During the flight, the aircraft passed roughly two miles north of an uncontrolled airstrip located along its path. At the same time, a Short SC7, registration N451SA, departed from the same airstrip, heading north. The pilot of the Short SC7 communicated the departure via the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) and initiated a climbing right turn that brought the aircraft toward the same flight path as the oncoming Cessna.
The two aircraft collided in mid-air at an altitude of approximately 800 feet. The impact occurred about 1.49 nautical miles east-northeast of the airstrip, which was situated roughly 18.3 miles west of the intended destination. Following the collision, both aircraft were seen descending in a spiral toward the ground. The wreckage of both planes was discovered on a frozen lake, where they remained entangled. The burned remains of the Cessna 207A were positioned on top of the wreckage of the Short SC7.
Findings
- The collision occurred during the climb phase of the Short SC7's flight.
- The accident took place in the vicinity of an uncontrolled airport lacking a control tower.
- The intersecting flight paths of the two aircraft led to the mid-air impact.