North American T28 N5440F
14 March 2019 · Compton, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 14 March 2019 at about 01:50 local time, a North American T28 registered N5440F, operated by Tomorrows Aeronautical Museum, was involved in an accident near Compton, California, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Compton, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Compton/Woodley (CPM)
- Coordinates
- 33.8894, -118.2408
- Aircraft
- North American T28
- Registration
- N5440F
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1956
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Tomorrows Aeronautical Museum
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Los Angeles → Compton
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR19FA095
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of the T-28 pilot to see and avoid the Cessna while landing with reduced visibility due to sun glare, which resulted in a collision on the runway. Contributing to the accident was his failure to use the airport's common traffic advisory frequency during the approach and landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The student pilot and flight instructor in the Cessna were landing at the non-tower-controlled airport when a North American T-28 collided with the Cessna from behind, fatally injuring the student. Radar data indicated that the T-28 overflew the airport before joining the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the landing runway; about this time, the Cessna was on final approach. The pilot of the T-28 reported that the bright sun and the haze created a glare on the windscreen that obscured his forward vision, making it difficult for him to see directly ahead, and the glare became worse as he descended toward the runway on final approach. The T-28 pilot saw the Cessna ahead of him on the runway just before the collision occurred. The instructor onboard the Cessna could not recall the details of the flight but reported that his student would have made radio calls on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) as they approached the airport for landing. The CTAF was not recorded, and the radio frequency settings of the Cessna could not be determined due to thermal damage. Examination of the T-28 revealed that its radio was not tuned to the airport's CTAF; therefore, the T-28 pilot was neither receiving position reports from other aircraft in the traffic pattern, nor was he broadcasting his position. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the T-28 pilot's failure to see and avoid the Cessna while landing with reduced visibility due to sun glare, and it is likely that his failure to monitor and use the CTAF contributed to the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| North American T28 B | N5440F | Tomorrows Aeronautical Museum | Minor |
| Cessna 152 NO SERIES | N48962 | Long Beach Flying CLub | Destroyed |
Other North American T28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 2019 | North American T28 | Hollister, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Mar 2019 | North American T28 | Escuintla, Guatemala | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Jun 2021 | North American T28 | Jickovice, Czech Republic | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 17 Jul 2016 | North American T28 | Cold Lake, Canada | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Sep 2016 | North American T28 | Greenwood, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 2023 | North American T28 | Székesfehérvár, Hungary | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Aug 2019 | Wheeler EXPRESS SERIES 2000 | Camarillo, California, United States | N43FD Airplane LLC. | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Feb 2019 | Cessna 402 | Montague, California, United States | Redding Aero Enterprises Inc | No injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 2019 | Boeing 737 | SFO International Airport, California, United States | United Air Lines Inc | No injuries | - |
| 25 Oct 2019 | Piper PA28R | Shelter Cove, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 May 2019 | Grumman G164 | Pleasant Grove, California, United States | Moe's Crop Dusting Service Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 May 2019 | Aviat A1 | Santa Ynez, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |