Pilot Debrief

North American T28 near Compton, CA — 2019-03-14

Final reportWPR19FA095
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Date
2019-03-14
Location
Compton, CA, USA
Airport
CPM
Aircraft
North American T28
Registration
N5440F
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1

Probable cause

The failure of the T-28 pilot to see and avoid the Cessna while landing with reduced visibility due to sun glare, which resulted in a collision on the runway. Contributing to the accident was his failure to use the airport's common traffic advisory frequency during the approach and landing.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot and flight instructor in the Cessna were landing at the non-tower-controlled airport when a North American T-28 collided with the Cessna from behind, fatally injuring the student. Radar data indicated that the T-28 overflew the airport before joining the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the landing runway; about this time, the Cessna was on final approach. The pilot of the T-28 reported that the bright sun and the haze created a glare on the windscreen that obscured his forward vision, making it difficult for him to see directly ahead, and the glare became worse as he descended toward the runway on final approach. The T-28 pilot saw the Cessna ahead of him on the runway just before the collision occurred. The instructor onboard the Cessna could not recall the details of the flight but reported that his student would have made radio calls on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) as they approached the airport for landing. The CTAF was not recorded, and the radio frequency settings of the Cessna could not be determined due to thermal damage. Examination of the T-28 revealed that its radio was not tuned to the airport's CTAF; therefore, the T-28 pilot was neither receiving position reports from other aircraft in the traffic pattern, nor was he broadcasting his position. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the T-28 pilot's failure to see and avoid the Cessna while landing with reduced visibility due to sun glare, and it is likely that his failure to monitor and use the CTAF contributed to the accident.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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