Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 152 near Watsonville, CA — 2022-08-18

Final reportWPR22FA309
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Date
2022-08-18
Location
Watsonville, CA, USA
Airport
WVI
Aircraft
CESSNA 152
Registration
N49931
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
3
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The failure of the pilot of the multi-engine airplane to see and avoid the single-engine airplane while performing a straight-in approach for landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot of the single-engine airplane was operating in the airport traffic pattern and had been making position reports on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). The pilot of the multi-engine airplane made an initial radio call on the CTAF 10 miles from the airport, announcing his intention to perform a straight-in approach for landing. Both pilots continued to make appropriate position reports, but did not communicate with each other until the multi-engine airplane was about one mile from the airport and the single-engine airplane had turned onto the base leg of the traffic pattern for landing. Realizing that the multi-engine airplane was converging upon him, the pilot of the single-engine airplane announced a go-around, and the airplanes collided on final approach for the runway about 150 ft above ground level (agl). Examination of the airplanes revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The multi-engine airplane’s wing flaps and landing gear were both retracted at the accident site, consistent with the pilot’s failure to configure the airplane for landing, and flight track information indicated that the pilot maintained a ground speed of about 180 knots throughout the approach until the collision occurred, which may have reduced the time available for him to see and avoid the single-engine airplane. The toxicology report for the pilot of the single-engine airplane revealed THC, metabolites for THC, metabolites for cocaine, and ketamine; the low amounts of each drug were not considered causal to the accident. The toxicology report for the multi-engine airplane pilot revealed THC, and metabolites of THC; the low amounts of each drug were not considered causal to the accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Cessna 340 pilot could have avoided straight-in approach to prevent collision.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ATC audio
  • Video
  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 23 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents23

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