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NTSB Report
December 26, 1986 · Piper PA-28-181 · N7646F
Long Beach, CA
Overview
Report Status
Preliminary report
Event Type
Accident
Date
December 26, 1986
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (4 uninjured)
Location
Long Beach, CA
Aircraft
Piper PA-28-181
Tail Number
N7646F
Operator
Aero Flight Center
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
LAX87MA068
A PIPER PA-28-161, N7646F, AND A MOONEY M-20K, N231LY, COLLIDED NEAR PADER INTERSECTION ABT 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LGB AIRPORT. BOTH AIRPLANES WERE CONDUCTING INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TRAINING AND NONE OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED. N231LY HAD CONDUCTED AN ILS APPROACH TO LGB AND WAS EXECUTING A VFR WINGS LEVEL CLIMBING MISSED APPROACH TOWARDS THE SUN AND N7646F WAS EXECUTING A RIGHT PARTIAL PANEL TURN AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. BOTH AIRPLANES COLLIDED NEAR HEAD-ON. N7646F'S LEFT OUTBD WING PANEL STRUCK THE MIDSPAN SECTION OF N231LY'S LEFT WING. THE CFI ABOARD N7646F SAW N231LY AND IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A NOSE DOWN MNVR. THE CFI ABOARD N231LY DID NOT EXECUTE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. VMC PREVAILED AT THE TIME, BUT A SMOG LAYER EXISTED. AFTER THE COLLISION N7646F LANDED AT SNA AND N231LY LANDED AT LGB WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
Full Narrative
A PIPER PA-28-161, N7646F, AND A MOONEY M-20K, N231LY, COLLIDED NEAR PADER INTERSECTION ABT 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LGB AIRPORT. BOTH AIRPLANES WERE CONDUCTING INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TRAINING AND NONE OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED. N231LY HAD CONDUCTED AN ILS APPROACH TO LGB AND WAS EXECUTING A VFR WINGS LEVEL CLIMBING MISSED APPROACH TOWARDS THE SUN AND N7646F WAS EXECUTING A RIGHT PARTIAL PANEL TURN AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. BOTH AIRPLANES COLLIDED NEAR HEAD-ON. N7646F'S LEFT OUTBD WING PANEL STRUCK THE MIDSPAN SECTION OF N231LY'S LEFT WING. THE CFI ABOARD N7646F SAW N231LY AND IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A NOSE DOWN MNVR. THE CFI ABOARD N231LY DID NOT EXECUTE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. VMC PREVAILED AT THE TIME, BUT A SMOG LAYER EXISTED. AFTER THE COLLISION N7646F LANDED AT SNA AND N231LY LANDED AT LGB WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
Flight
Event TypeAccident
Event Time15:03 PST
Nearest AirportLong Beach (16nm SW)
Runway30
Runway Length10000 ft
Runway Width200 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo
Aircraft
AircraftPiper PA-28-181
Tail NumberN7646F
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorAero Flight Center
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-360-A4M · Reciprocating · 180 | Lycoming · TSIO-360-GB1 · Reciprocating · 210
Seats4
People & Injuries
Injury SummaryNo injuries (4 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured4
Total4
Crew 1Age 57 · Second Class
Crew 2Age 60 · Second Class
Conditions
ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind180° @ 7 kt
Visibility6 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point64 F / 48
Altimeter30.00 inHg
Observation Time22:49
Weather SourceWFAC