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Three Killed in California Mid-Air Collision

A Cessna twin overtakes a Cessna 152 at Watsonville Airport.

A Cessna 340A crashed into a hangar next to a runway at Watsonville Municipal Airport August 18, after a mid-air collision with a 152, according to authorities. [Courtesy: City of Watsonville]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Three people were killed in a mid-air collision involving a Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340A at Watsonville Municipal Airport in Santa Cruz County, California.
  • The accident occurred at the non-towered airport as both aircraft were attempting to land on the same runway (Runway 20).
  • ATC recordings indicate the pilots acknowledged each other, but the Cessna 152 pilot initiated a go-around due to the Cessna 340A approaching at a high speed of 182 knots, significantly above its normal approach speed.
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Three people have been killed in a mid-air collision of two Cessna aircraft in Santa Cruz County, California, according to authorities. 

The accident happened Thursday just before 3 p.m. at Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI). The first notification came from a Twitter post from the City of Watsonville.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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