N66234

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 4, 2005, approximately 1745 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150M high-wing airplane, N66234, registered to the Subsonics Flying Club, Renton, Washington, and a deHavilland DHC-2 Beaver high-wing float equipped airplane, N741DB, registered to Associated Leasing LLC, of Edmonds, Washington, and operated by Sound Flight Inc., Renton, Washington, collided in flight approximately one and one-half miles northeast of the Renton Municipal Airport (RNT), Renton, Washington. The Cessna 150M was destroyed following an uncontrolled descent and impact with a vacant building. The DHC-2 Beaver sustained substantial damage and subsequently made an emergency landing on the grass median west of Runway 33 at RNT. The certified flight instructor and student pilot aboard the Cessna 150M sustained fatal injuries. The airline transport pilot and four passengers aboard the DHC-2 Beaver were not injured. The Cessna 150M was operated in accordance with 14 CFR Part 91, having departed RNT at an unspecified time on an instructional flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The DHC-2 Beaver was operated in accordance with 14 CFR Part 135 on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight departed Barkley Sound, British Columbia, Canada, at 1623, and its destination was RNT.

At 1741:57, the pilot of the Cessna 150M (N66234) transmitted to the RNT controller, "Renton Tower, Cessna 234 incoming on to the I-90 bridge ah ah incoming on [ATIS information] Bravo." After the controller radar identified the target on the STARS3 [Standard Terminal Area Radar System], he instructed the pilot to "…enter a right downwind uh via the forty five report three miles northeast…," then requested the type landing.

At 1742:31, the pilot of the Cessna 150M advised that he would be conducting a full stop landing and was entering the downwind. Five seconds later, the controller advised, "…traffic ahead and to your right, one thousand six hundred [feet] turning southbound type unknown." The pilot did not respond. Radar data indicates that at this time the Cessna 150M was oriented to the left of the accident DHC-2 Beaver, rather than ahead and to its right as advised by the controller. (Refer to attached Radar Data)

At 1742:48, the pilot of another DHC-2 Beaver (N715JR) said, "…East channel I-90 bridge with [ATIS] Bravo for Washington One, low approach." The controller responded, "…traffic ah passing behind you now, 1300 [feet], a Cessna, no factor. Enter right downwind runway 33 correction via 405 report uh 3 miles north." The pilot acknowledged.

At 1743:13, the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver (N741DB) transmitted, "…we've got information [ATIS] Bravo just northeast channel bridge inbound landing." The tower controller responded, "okay aircraft at the east correction northwest east channel bridge you have traffic twelve o'clock, two miles, Cessna, one thousand three hundred [feet] southbound." The pilot advised that he was looking for the traffic.

At 1743:37, after the tower controller confirmed the aircraft's call sign, he instructed the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver (N741DB) to "…enter downwind via the 45 uh you'll be following that Cessna ahead and to your right." The pilot stated, "ok, uh, we'll be landing on the water." The controller said, "roger that he's landing on the hard surface you'll be doing a low approach over the water, understand."

At 1744:24, the tower controller said, "Beaver, correction floatplane one delta bravo confirm you have the Cessna in sight."

At 1744:29, the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver (N741DB) reported, "ah we've got an aircraft on downwind ahead of us in sight."

At 1744:32, the tower controller said, "roger, you're following that aircraft." The pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver (N741DB) acknowledged the transmission.

At 1744:37, the pilot of the other DHC-2 Beaver (N715JR) reported entering the downwind. Five seconds later, the controller asked the pilot if he planned to land on the water or the hard surface. The pilot of the other DHC-2 Beaver advised that he would be landing on the water and "a midfield base would be great..." The controller then approved a midfield base and cleared the flight for a low approach.

At 1745:09, the tower controller instructed the pilot of the Cessna 150M to "proceed direct to the downwind." The pilot acknowledged.

At 1745:14, the tower controller advised the Cessna 150M, "and you have traffic off your right wing, has you in sight, one thousand six hundred [feet], floatplane." The pilot advised he had "the traffic in sight..."

At 1745:46, the controller confirmed that the accident DHC-2 Beaver would be landing in the water and the pilot replied, "affirmative. We have the aircraft on base." According to the pilot's statement, he wrote, "I observed the Beaver ahead to begin his midfield base turn and began to slow the aircraft in preparation for following him and landing on the water."

At 1745:53, the controller said, "...do you have the traffic that's passing underneath you still?"

At 1745:56, the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver stated, "ah yah base to final landing on the water (unintelligible)."

At 1746:06, the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver said, "Mayday, mayday uh Delta Bravo just had a midair."

The pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver continued inbound to RNT, and after assessing the damage to his aircraft landed on the grass median left of runway 33.

See the NTSB Air Traffic Control Group Chairman's Factual Report in the public docket for further details concerning air traffic control.

In an interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC), and according to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1), the pilot of N741DB, the DHC-2 Beaver, reported that while outside of Class D airspace and monitoring the RNT control tower frequency, he observed another DHC-2 Beaver (N715JR) ahead of him. The pilot stated, "I heard his transmission and intended on following that Beaver to over fly the midpoint of Runway 33 for our base to land northbound on Lake Washington." The pilot further stated that air traffic control (ATC) activity was fairly high and that there was at least one double transmission or blocked transmission. The pilot reported that after making contact with ATC he informed the tower that he had the traffic ahead on downwind in sight and was told to follow him. "I was given [a] traffic advisory that I had traffic ahead of me, to which I again acknowledged that I had the Beaver traffic ahead of me on downwind in sight." The pilot stated that he observed the Beaver begin his midfield base turn and began to slow [his] aircraft in preparation for following him and landing on the water. "From my peripheral view to the left to low and behind I noticed the top of a high wing aircraft with white wings and a red wing tip just prior to contact.....I heard the sound of a heavy 'thud', followed by the violent yawing and rolling of the aircraft to the left." The pilot reported that he immediately notified the tower of the condition and declared an emergency, subsequently landing on the grass median to the left of Runway 33. The pilot further reported that after having descended to traffic pattern altitude, he still had visual contact on the Beaver on downwind. The pilot stated that he did not recall being advised of any other traffic in the area, and that he did not recall being advised of any Cessna traffic.

Several witnesses to the accident submitted written statements to the IIC. One witness reported that the Cessna's right wing tip made contact with the Beaver's right float, and that it appeared the Cessna was trying to miss the Beaver just before impact. Another witness said that just prior to impact both airplanes were in straight and level flight. All of the witnesses stated that after impact the Cessna nosed down steeply before impacting the vacant school building.

Representatives from the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded to the Cessna 150M accident site, as well as to the location at RNT where the DHC-2 Beaver came to rest. Documentation was completed at each site. Both aircraft were subsequently removed to a secure location for further examination by representatives from the NTSB, the FAA, and parties to the investigation.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The certified flight instructor of the Cessna 150M was issued a flight instructor certificate on April 9, 2004. He also held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument (airplane) ratings. According to the pilot's personal logbook, he had accumulated a total flight time of 510.7 hours, 274.6 hours in the accident make and model airplane, and 56.9 hours flight time as an instructor in the Cessna 150 aircraft. The flight instructor held a first class medical certificate, dated June 28, 2005, with the limitation that he shall wear corrective lenses.

The student pilot in the Cessna 150M had accumulated a total of 2.1 hours of total flight time prior to the accident flight, all dual instruction. The student pilot possessed a third class medical certificate that was issued on June 27, 2005. The medical certificate contained the limitation which stated that the pilot shall wear corrective lenses.

The pilot of the deHavilland DHC-2 Beaver held an airline transport pilot certificate for airplane single-engine sea and airplane multiengine land airplanes, a commercial pilot certificate for single-engine land airplane, and a private pilot certificate for gliders. The pilot also possessed a flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine, airplane multiengine, and instrument ratings, an advanced and instrument ground instructor certificate, and an aircraft dispatcher's certificate. The pilot was also a licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic. The pilot reported a total flight time of 23,000 hours, 4,500 hours in sin...