N4021T

On October 20, 1996, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 210K, N81SC, privately registered, and a Beech 23, N4021T, registered to the Gasparilla Air Force Flying Club, collided about 1 nautical mile northwest of the Vandenberg Airport, Tampa, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for either flight. The commercial-rated pilot and two passengers in the Cessna 210 were not injured. The private-rated pilot of the Beech 23 sustained minor injuries and the two passengers were not injured. The Cessna 210 flight originated about 3 minutes earlier from the Vandenberg Airport. The Beech 23 flight originated about 1015 from the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, Florida.

The pilot of the Cessna 210 stated that he intended to exit the traffic pattern on the downwind leg and announced on the UNICOM frequency that the flight was departing runway 36. At 500 feet mean sea level the flight turned crosswind and downwind which he also announced and just before leveling off at 850-890 feet, while on a heading of about 190 degrees, he felt the impact. The airplane rolled to the right and he was able to correct the rolling tendency with full left aileron input. The flight continued in the pattern and the pilot landed the airplane with no further damage. The pilot further stated that at no point in time did he observe the other airplane and the strobe lights of his airplane were activated at the time of the collision. No other external lights were activated. Damage to his airplane consisted of damage to the right wing tip and skin damage to the right side of the fuselage about 4 feet forward of the right horizontal stabilizer.

The pilot of the Beech 23 reported that he maneuvered his airplane and announced his entry for a 2 mile downwind for runway 36, which was heard by an employee at the Vandenberg airport. He did not heard any pattern reports from any other pilot and as the flight passed the threshold of runway 18 while at 900 feet, he felt the impact. The airplane initially banked to the right and he pushed the yoke forward to increase the airspeed. He also recognized that the rudder control was inoperative and observed the other airplane flying in a westerly direction. He recovered from the banked attitude and during the landing roll, the airplane was resting on the nose without its nose landing gear. The damage to his airplane consisted of engine, propeller, the left fuselage and wing, inoperative rudder. He further reported that at the time of the collision the strobe lights were activated.

According to a witness, the collision occurred about 1/4 mile north and 1/3 mile west from the departure end of runway 36. The Cessna 210 was observed to turn left crosswind about 1/4 mile from the departure end of the runway, and left downwind about 1/3 mile west of the runway. The Beech 23 was observed flying on the downwind leg at the time of the collision. The right wing tip from the Cessna 210 was located about 1 nautical mile and 322 degrees from the departure end of runway 36.

Review of the Airmans Information Manual (AIM) revealed that the recommended procedures for departing the traffic pattern are to fly runway heading or to turn 45 degrees to the left when in a left traffic pattern. The AIM recommends to enter the downwind at a 45 degree angle abeam the midpoint of the runway.