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'Multiple fatalities' reported after 2 small planes collide mid-air at California airport, city officials say
abc ^ | August 18, 2022, 4:20 PM | Meredith Deliso

Posted on 08/18/2022 5:58:46 PM PDT by BenLurkin

The crash occurred shortly before 3 p.m. local time at the Watsonville Municipal Airport in Watsonville, an agricultural area located about 50 miles south of San Jose, officials said.

The two planes were attempting to land when they collided, the city of Watsonville said on social media. "We have reports of multiple fatalities," it said.

A single-engine Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340 "collided while the pilots were on their final approaches," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

Three people were on board the planes.... No injuries were reported to anyone on the ground, it said.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: planecrash; watsonville
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1 posted on 08/18/2022 5:58:46 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

That’s weird. I wonder if they weren’t paying attention to the tower, or vice-versa...


2 posted on 08/18/2022 6:03:58 PM PDT by EEGator
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To: BenLurkin

We had a clear-air collision of a seaplane and a small plane over Lake Coeur d’Alene a couple years ago. One pilot was an experienced commercial jet pilot. I think he owned the seaplane sightseeing company. It was the weirdest thing — beautiful clear blue skies, no other air traffic, and yet they found themselves at the same altitude and collided over the lake.

It’s astonishing to think that with two planes on final approach neither pilot spotted the other. Wow.


3 posted on 08/18/2022 6:08:07 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you and heaven accept you”)
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To: EEGator
There's no control tower at Watsonville Municipal Airport.
4 posted on 08/18/2022 6:11:40 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you and heaven accept you”)
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To: EEGator

Watsonville is an uncontrolled airport (no tower). Plots communicate their intentions on the “Unicom”/”CTAF” radio frequency.

https://www.airnav.com/airport/KWVI


5 posted on 08/18/2022 6:11:42 PM PDT by Drago
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To: ProtectOurFreedom; Drago

Thanks, that makes way more sense.


6 posted on 08/18/2022 6:13:40 PM PDT by EEGator
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To: EEGator
Uncontrolled field. No tower.

https://www.airnav.com/airport/KWVI

Lots of ways for this to happen - one plane using the wrong traffic pattern direction (although both runways are published as left traffic).

There would have been a big speed differential between the C-150 and a twin - the twin could have run him over. Also altitude mismanagement. Or a combination. Ya just never know.

It always gets a little more tense around an uncontrolled airport.

7 posted on 08/18/2022 6:18:19 PM PDT by grobdriver (The CDC can KMA!)
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To: BenLurkin

Poor visibility between a high wing aircraft and a low wing aircraft.


8 posted on 08/18/2022 6:19:39 PM PDT by HighSierra5 (The only way you know a commie is lying is when they open their pieholes.)
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To: EEGator

Yep day VFR...be sure to “see and avoid”. Perhaps a “low wing (Cessna 340) above/approaching a high wing (Cessna 152)” accident. The low wing Cessna being above the 152 makes it harder to see.


9 posted on 08/18/2022 6:20:22 PM PDT by Drago
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To: BenLurkin

Where’s Harrison Ford?


10 posted on 08/18/2022 6:29:53 PM PDT by Bobalu (Only the children are blameless....)
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To: EEGator

What tower?


11 posted on 08/18/2022 6:31:03 PM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: BenLurkin
Cessna 152: small single propeller, high-wing, 2-seat airplane, often used as for training.

Cessna 340: twin propeller, low-wing, 6-seat airplane.

At an uncontrolled airport, my first suspicion would be that the Cessna 152 was in a standard VFR pattern and the Cessna 340 was shooting a direct in IFR approach. High-wing pilot already in the pattern doesn't see low-wing descending due to the wing. Low-wing twin pilot that's descending doesn't see the 152 below it.

Departed a VFR pattern more than once for a hot-head shooting an IFR approach that didn't want to wait in the queue or circle around.

12 posted on 08/18/2022 6:33:18 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: Vendome

You’re late...


13 posted on 08/18/2022 6:34:39 PM PDT by EEGator
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To: EEGator

This is an uncontrolled airport so all approaches are done using a local Unicom advisory frequency. The normal procedure is to report downwind, base, and final. If one or the other pilots was not familiar with the airport they may have not been monitoring the frequency.

If I had to guess this is a classic low-wing meets high-wing collision. The high-wing 152 pilot can’t see directly above his wing and the low wing 340 can see below. If the 340 came in high and fast he may have never seen the 152 below him if they were both on final. Just a guess but the 152 pilot may have been a student on a solo and did not report his final approach.


14 posted on 08/18/2022 6:39:47 PM PDT by Dave Wright
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
It’s astonishing to think that with two planes on final approach neither pilot spotted the other. Wow.

I've heard that there was a time when there were exactly two automobiles in the entire state of Kansas.

They ran into each other.

15 posted on 08/18/2022 6:57:10 PM PDT by null and void (they promise the jetsons but deliver the flintstones)
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To: T.B. Yoits

**Departed a VFR pattern more than once for a hot-head shooting an IFR approach that didn’t want to wait in the queue or circle around.**

The 340 may have run over the 152 on final for the same runway. But there are two runways. Perhaps the 152 was practicing crosswind take offs and landings, and the 340 was using the headwind runway. They had to hit fairly low to the ground for the 340 to slide across the tarmac and into that hangar.


16 posted on 08/18/2022 7:22:25 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
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To: EEGator

The Cessna 152 is a trainer aircraft. The pilot was probably a very low time person.


17 posted on 08/19/2022 2:56:35 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dreams)
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To: EEGator

Airport doesn’t have a control tower.


18 posted on 08/19/2022 5:04:25 AM PDT by ops33 (SMSgt, USAF, Retired)
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To: BenLurkin

Was Harrison Ford involved?


19 posted on 08/19/2022 6:33:55 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: Carry_Okie; clamper1797; EggsAckley; expat_brit; hedgetrimmer; Jack Black; jahp; Regulator; ...
h/t to Carry-Okie

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20 posted on 08/19/2022 10:30:03 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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