This just in from the NTSB advisory notification system to which we subscribe as a media contact:
***BEGIN ADVISORY***
NTSB Advisory
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
January 27, 2003
UPDATE ON NTSB INVESTIGATION INTO MIDAIR COLLISION IN DENVER, COLORADO
Washington, D.C. -- The National Transportation Safety Board today released
the following update of its investigation of the midair collision between a
Piper PA-31T twin-engine Cheyenne (N360LL) and a single-engine Cessna 172
(N52241) on January 24, 2003, over northwest Denver, Colorado. Both
aircraft were destroyed by impact forces and fire. Five people were killed
in the crash.
Airplane Wreckage
The wreckage from both airplanes has been collected and secured at an
aircraft salvage facility in Greeley, Colorado. Today, the wreckage is
being carefully laid out and examined by investigators from the NTSB with
assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), New Piper
Aircraft Company, and Cessna Aircraft Company. The wreckage will be examined
in an effort to document paint transfer marks, scratch marks, and structural
damage, to assist in determining the collision angles between the two
airplanes. This activity will continue over the next 2 days. Maintenance
records for each airplane are also being secured and will be examined.
Air Traffic Control Issues
As a routine part of any investigation involving a midair collision in or
near controlled airspace, the NTSB formed an Air Traffic Control (ATC)
group. The group chairman is an ATC specialist from NTSB Headquarters in
Washington, D.C. who arrived in Denver on Sunday. The ATC group consists of
representatives from the FAA in Washington, D.C., and local representatives
from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Yesterday, the group
visited the Denver ATC Approach Control facility in Denver, Colorado, and
received an initial briefing regarding the facility. The group also viewed
the radar playback, listened to recorded ATC voice communications, and
downloaded recorded radar data for further analysis. The following
information has been obtained thus far from the ATC group:
The pilots were not required, according to FAA regulations, to contact ATC;
however, both pilots requested and received a service known as visual flight
rules (VFR) flight following. As a result, one controller was providing
basic radar services to both pilots which include safety alerts, traffic
advisories and limited radar vectoring when requested by the pilot.
The group will be interviewing ATC controllers today, and will continue to
analyze the radar data and voice recordings.
Sequence of Events
The following sequence of events is according to preliminary information.
About 5:00 p.m. CST, the Cessna 172 departed from Centennial Airport enroute
to Cheyenne, Wyoming. About 5:10 p.m., the Piper Cheyenne departed
Jefferson County Airport enroute to Centennial Airport. At 5:17 p.m., the
Piper Cheyenne pilot reported to the Denver Approach controller. When
asked, the Piper Cheyenne pilot reported that his altitude was 7,800 feet.
About 90 seconds later, the Cessna 172 pilot contacted the controller. The
Cessna was at 7,300 feet and requested to climb to 8,500 feet. The request
was granted.
About ten seconds later, the controller asked the Piper Cheyenne pilot his
altitude. The Piper Cheyenne pilot indicated that he was flying at 7,600
feet. The controller then issued a traffic advisory to the Piper Cheyenne
pilot advising that there was a Cessna at the Piper Cheyenne's twelve
o'clock position and 1 mile at 7,700 feet. The collision occurred shortly
thereafter.
Weather and Lighting Environment
The reported weather conditions about the time of the accident allowed for
flights to be conducted under VFR. The reported visibility was about 10-15
miles and the cloud conditions were reported as broken and scattered from
6,000 feet to 14,000 feet mean sea level. Additionally, the sun had set
about 20 minutes prior to the collision. Safety Board investigators will
continue to investigate the effects that lighting may have had on the
pilots' ability to see other aircraft.
***END ADVISORY***
***BEGIN ADVISORY***
NTSB Advisory
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
January 27, 2003
UPDATE ON NTSB INVESTIGATION INTO MIDAIR COLLISION IN DENVER, COLORADO
Washington, D.C. -- The National Transportation Safety Board today released
the following update of its investigation of the midair collision between a
Piper PA-31T twin-engine Cheyenne (N360LL) and a single-engine Cessna 172
(N52241) on January 24, 2003, over northwest Denver, Colorado. Both
aircraft were destroyed by impact forces and fire. Five people were killed
in the crash.
Airplane Wreckage
The wreckage from both airplanes has been collected and secured at an
aircraft salvage facility in Greeley, Colorado. Today, the wreckage is
being carefully laid out and examined by investigators from the NTSB with
assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), New Piper
Aircraft Company, and Cessna Aircraft Company. The wreckage will be examined
in an effort to document paint transfer marks, scratch marks, and structural
damage, to assist in determining the collision angles between the two
airplanes. This activity will continue over the next 2 days. Maintenance
records for each airplane are also being secured and will be examined.
Air Traffic Control Issues
As a routine part of any investigation involving a midair collision in or
near controlled airspace, the NTSB formed an Air Traffic Control (ATC)
group. The group chairman is an ATC specialist from NTSB Headquarters in
Washington, D.C. who arrived in Denver on Sunday. The ATC group consists of
representatives from the FAA in Washington, D.C., and local representatives
from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Yesterday, the group
visited the Denver ATC Approach Control facility in Denver, Colorado, and
received an initial briefing regarding the facility. The group also viewed
the radar playback, listened to recorded ATC voice communications, and
downloaded recorded radar data for further analysis. The following
information has been obtained thus far from the ATC group:
The pilots were not required, according to FAA regulations, to contact ATC;
however, both pilots requested and received a service known as visual flight
rules (VFR) flight following. As a result, one controller was providing
basic radar services to both pilots which include safety alerts, traffic
advisories and limited radar vectoring when requested by the pilot.
The group will be interviewing ATC controllers today, and will continue to
analyze the radar data and voice recordings.
Sequence of Events
The following sequence of events is according to preliminary information.
About 5:00 p.m. CST, the Cessna 172 departed from Centennial Airport enroute
to Cheyenne, Wyoming. About 5:10 p.m., the Piper Cheyenne departed
Jefferson County Airport enroute to Centennial Airport. At 5:17 p.m., the
Piper Cheyenne pilot reported to the Denver Approach controller. When
asked, the Piper Cheyenne pilot reported that his altitude was 7,800 feet.
About 90 seconds later, the Cessna 172 pilot contacted the controller. The
Cessna was at 7,300 feet and requested to climb to 8,500 feet. The request
was granted.
About ten seconds later, the controller asked the Piper Cheyenne pilot his
altitude. The Piper Cheyenne pilot indicated that he was flying at 7,600
feet. The controller then issued a traffic advisory to the Piper Cheyenne
pilot advising that there was a Cessna at the Piper Cheyenne's twelve
o'clock position and 1 mile at 7,700 feet. The collision occurred shortly
thereafter.
Weather and Lighting Environment
The reported weather conditions about the time of the accident allowed for
flights to be conducted under VFR. The reported visibility was about 10-15
miles and the cloud conditions were reported as broken and scattered from
6,000 feet to 14,000 feet mean sea level. Additionally, the sun had set
about 20 minutes prior to the collision. Safety Board investigators will
continue to investigate the effects that lighting may have had on the
pilots' ability to see other aircraft.
***END ADVISORY***