Cessna 172N N6479D
16 February 2000 · Palm Springs, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 16 February 2000 at about 01:29 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N6479D, operated by Bermuda Dunes Air Service, was involved in an accident near Palm Springs, California, United States. 5 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:29
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Palm Springs, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Palm Springs International (PSP)
- Coordinates
- 33.8333, -116.5167
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N6479D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Bermuda Dunes Air Service
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Palm Springs → Bermuda Dunes
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX00FA101
People
3 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
Probable cause
the failure of both flight crews to see and avoid the other airplane while operating in the traffic pattern, which resulted in a mid-air collision. A contributing factor was the failure of the arriving aircraft to comply with air traffic control requests by not issuing a position report.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A high-wing airplane and low-wing airplane collided in mid-air while operating in the traffic pattern at a controlled airport. The air traffic controller issued traffic advisories to both aircraft, and each pilot acknowledged the advisories. The controller also requested that the low-wing airplane, which was inbound to the airport, to "report two miles out on the forty five." The pilot of the low-wing airplane acknowledged the request; however, there was no evidence that the pilot gave the report. The high-wing airplane was in the process of making a right turn from crosswind to the downwind leg when the low-wing airplane (inbound on a 30 degree entry to downwind) impacted the high-wing airplane's left wing with its propeller and lower engine cowling. The high-wing airplane subsequently lost control, the flight instructor recovered, and conducted an emergency landing in a desert area adjacent to the airport. The low-wing airplane continued to the airport and landed without further incident. Review of the air traffic control system revealed that the control tower was not utilizing the Digital Bright Radar Indicator Tower Equipment (D-BRITE), which would provide controllers with additional radar data on the airplanes, because it was out of service due to being unreliable. However, FAA directives state that the D-BRITE system was never intended to be utilized for traffic separation. The pilots were informed that they did not have radar coverage while in the controlled airspace via the Automatic Terminal Information Service. Additionally, the Airman's Information Manual states that regardless of radar coverage, pilots have the sole responsibility to see and avoid other aircraft.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172N 172N | N6479D | Bermuda Dunes Air Service | Substantial |
| Piper PA-28-140 PA-28-140 | N84PB | Alliance International Aviation | Minor |
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul 2000 | Cessna 172H | Kutztown, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Dec 2000 | Cessna 172M | Mount Sterling, Kentucky, United States | Kentucky Airmotive | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 2000 | Cessna 172R | Battle Creek, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 2000 | Cessna 172 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Sunbird Flight Services | No injuries | - |
| 4 Nov 2000 | Cessna 172P | Inverness, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Aug 2000 | Cessna 172N | Kamas, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2000 | Piper PA-30 | Davis, California, United States | Travis AFB Aeroclub | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2000 | Cessna 150H | Corona, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Feb 2000 | Cessna 182L | Coulterville, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 31 May 2000 | Cessna 152 | Palm Springs, California, United States | The FLT School At Palm Springs | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Nov 2000 | Cessna 340A | Selma, California, United States | Yecny Enterprises, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Aug 2000 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Avalon, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |