N63137

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On December 24, 1996, at 1133 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N943R, collided in flight with a Cessna 150M, N63137, about 1.5 miles east of the Montgomery Field Airport, San Diego, California while both aircraft were on final approach to parallel runways. The commercial pilot and one passenger in the Piper were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. The commercial pilot and one passenger in the Cessna received minor injuries and that aircraft was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and both aircraft were on instructional flights. The Piper departed Montgomery Field for a local flight, and the Cessna departed from Ramona Airport at approximately 1030.

Simultaneous VFR and IFR operations were in progress at Montgomery Field to parallel runways 28R and 28L. The Cessna aircraft was executing a straight-in instrument approach to runway 28R and was following another high wing Cessna to that runway. The Piper aircraft was approaching the airport VFR from the northeast and was sequenced to cross the final approach to runway 28R and make a straight-in approach to runway 28L. The Piper was sequenced number two to land on that runway behind another aircraft in closed traffic.

Aboard the Piper was a flight instructor and an unlicensed primary student pilot. The pilot contacted Montgomery tower at 1128 and reported his position east of Lake Murray (a VFR reporting point 5 miles east of the airport) and requested landing instructions. At 1129, he revised his position "over Cowles." The tower instructed the aircraft to proceed southbound and issued traffic at 11o'clock and 2 miles, a Cessna aircraft descending through 2,100 feet, and further instructed the Piper pilot to report the Cessna in sight. There was no acknowledgment of the clearance from the Piper. Recorded CDR radar data shows the Piper at approximately 3,000 feet altitude during this time.

The Cessna was returning to Montgomery Field on an IFR flight plan and clearance. Aboard the aircraft was a flight instructor in the left seat giving instruction to another flight instructor in the right seat, who was training to upgrade to instrument flight instructor. The Cessna had been cleared for the NDB runway 28 right approach by SOCAL TRACON, and at 1129, contacted Montgomery tower "with you on the NDB for the miss." The tower requested a transponder ident and issued traffic at "1:00 moving to 12:00 o'clock, 1 mile, altitude indicates two thousand three hundred." At 1130, the Cessna reported another Cessna aircraft in sight at one o'clock and "we'll continue on the NDB." In a later interview, the flight instructor stated that at this time they were past the DEORO outer compass locator and were descending from 2,100 feet to the step down fix altitude of 1,340 feet at PALOS intersection.

At 1131, the tower transmitted "Cherokee one three seven, traffic behind to your left, inbound for the parallel runway is a Cherokee." The pilot of the Cessna replied "Okay, this is Cessna six three one three seven, we're looking for the Cherokee." The tower then acknowledged "Cessna six three one three seven , roger." In his personnel statement, the air traffic controller stated that he "observed N63137 and N943R approximately 3 miles to the east on final" prior to this transmission.

The Piper pilot reported "approximately three miles out for landing" at 1131. The tower replied "in sight, number two, follow traffic left base to one mile final for runway two eight left, cleared to land." The Piper acknowledged, "follow traffic, two eight left, cleared to land."

At 1132, the Cessna pilot radioed "Cessna six three one three seven, midair." In two subsequent transmissions, the pilot of the Cessna confirmed the midair and stated his intent to land first on a freeway and then in an open area. Several attempts by the tower to contact the Piper were unsuccessful.

Review of the recorded radar data disclosed that the two aircraft's radar targets merged together at approximately latitude 32 degrees 48.0 minutes north, and longitude 117 degrees 05.3 minutes west at 1,400 feet msl while tracking approximately 280 degrees magnetic.

According to ground based witnesses, after the collision the Piper entered a descending left turn, which continued until impact with the ground. The witnesses reported that the aircraft turned approximately 180 degrees before impact and the bank angle and rate of descent increased as the turn progressed. The aircraft impacted in a large tree adjacent to a parking lot at the south end of the Navy Golf Course at GPS latitude 32 degrees 47.51 minutes north, and longitude 117 degrees 06.23 minutes west.

The left seated pilot of the Cessna reported that his recollection was of a "pretty hard" impact, during which the aircraft veered left and he hit his head. When he looked out the windshield his aircraft was in a left descending turn and the engine and propeller were stopped. The Piper was at his 11 o'clock position in the same attitude and he was viewing it from its 5:30 (o'clock) perspective. He took control of the aircraft from the second pilot, leveled his aircraft's wings and radioed the tower that there had been a midair collision. He turned right with the intention of landing in the northbound lanes of Interstate 15; however, because of heavy automobile traffic on the highway, he turned back to the left and located a site that had been leveled for construction (on West Canyon Avenue south of Aero Drive) and landed there (approximate latitude 32 degrees 48.0 minutes north, and longitude 117 degrees 07.3 minutes west). The aircraft rolled about 400 feet before impacting a dirt embankment and stopping.

The left seated pilot of the Cessna also reported that SOCAL approach had cleared them for the NDB 28R approach from outside the DEORO outer compass locator. They had crossed the compass locator at 2,100 feet and descended to the step-down fix altitude of 1,340 feet at PALOS intersection. He recalled that the tower sequenced them behind a high wing at their one o'clock position and he also recalled that a Cherokee checked in with the tower over Cowles mountain which was in his three o'clock position. The tower communications were very congested (busy) and transmissions were being blocked (stepped on) by other aircraft. The pilot said that approaching PALOS intersection at about 1,375 feet, he complimented his student on what a good job he was doing; he was exactly on centerline of 28R. About the same time, the tower called traffic at 6 - 7 o'clock. He looked back as well as he could but did not see any traffic. His student called "PALOS intersection descending to 880 feet." About 15 to 30 seconds later they collided with the Piper, having never seen it. It had approached from behind and struck them from above. The pilot estimated that they were at 1,000 to 1,100 feet msl when the collision occurred. After the collision he realized that he had lost a substantial amount of altitude, and that there was no way that he could reach the airport without engine power and so made an off-airport landing.

The tower supervisor certified that there were four people in the tower cab at the time of the accident. All four were FAA Air Traffic Control Specialists; two were full performance level controllers and two were developmental level controllers. The working local controller was a full performance level controller.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot logbook of the pilot/flight instructor of the N943R was not located after the accident. His experience as of July 25, 1996, was available from the application form for his flight instructor rating, which was issued on that date. As of that date, the pilot had accumulated a total flying time of 279 hours. The operator of the aircraft was able to provide records covering the period from October 26, 1996, to December 20, 1996, which showed that the pilot had flown 43.3 hours during that period. His second class airman's medical certificate, dated July 1, 1996, reflected a total flying time of 260 hours, and uncorrected distant visual acuity of 20/20.

The logbook of the second (student) pilot aboard N943R showed that he had accumulated 10.9 flying hours, all dual instruction in the accident aircraft between November 17, 1996, and the date of the accident. A check of FAA records revealed that he had not been issued a student pilot medical certificate.

The pilot/flight instructor of the Cessna reported total flying time of 9,400 hours. His second class airman's medical certificate was issued May 1, 1995. Distant vision in his left eye was recorded as 20/100 corrected to 20/20 and in his right eye was 20/70 corrected to 20/15.

The second pilot in the Cessna reported 677 hours total flying time. He was flying the aircraft by reference to the instruments at the time of the accident using "foggles" to restrict external vision.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A special weather observation taken by Montgomery tower at 1148 reported scattered clouds at 2,500 feet agl and visibility of 40 miles. The temperature was 63 degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point 46 degrees, with surface winds from 360 degrees at 9 knots.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The Cessna landed in a hilly area approximately 1/2 mile southeast of the Montgomery Field airport on a plateau that had been machine leveled in preparation for construction. The aircraft came to rest upright on a southwesterly heading with the nose against an embankment and the nose wheel collapsed. There were three parallel tread marks in the dirt extending northeast about 400 feet from the resting position of the landing gear.

According to the pilot of the Cessna, the landing was in a normal attitude, without any engine power, on all three landing gear; however, there was insufficient distance to stop the aircraft and the aircraft impacted the dirt embankment which ...