At about 1427 eastern time, a Piper PA-30 and a Cessna 150H collided in-flight while in the traffic pattern at the Clearwater Air Park. The Cessna crashed and the pilot was killed. The Twin Comanche was damaged but the pilot was able to land the airplane with no injuries to the two aboard. The Piper was on an IFR flight plan from Winter Haven to Clearwater. The Cessna was on a local flight. The Piper had advised Tampa Approach that the airport was in sight and the controller cleared him for a visual approach. The pilot then canceled IFR and the controller acknowledged and advised the pilot of traffic 1.5 miles north of the airport, heading south. The Piper pilot advised he would look for traffic. The Piper pilot announced his entry into the traffic pattern on the airports Unicom frequency and advised of all turns in the pattern. The Cessna pilot advised on Unicom that he was crossing midfield but did not announce direction or intentions. No other radio transmissions from the Piper were heard. The Piper pilot said he was 2/3 down the runway on the downwind leg when his passenger hollered. He looked to his right and observed an airplane so close that he did not have time to take corrective action before the collision.
January 17, Clearwater, Fla. / Twin Comanche and Cessna 150
At about 1427 eastern time, a Piper PA-30 and a Cessna 150H collided in-flight while in the traffic pattern at the Clearwater Air Park. The Cessna crashed and the pilot was killed. The Twin Comanche was damaged but the pilot was able to land the airplane with no injuries to the two aboard. The Piper was on an IFR flight plan from Winter Haven to Clearwater. The Cessna was on a local flight. The Piper had advised Tampa Approach that the airport was in sight and the controller cleared him for a visual approach. The pilot then canceled IFR and the controller acknowledged and advised the pilot of traffic 1.5 miles north of the airport, heading south. The Piper pilot advised he would look for tra...
Key Takeaways:
- A mid-air collision at Clearwater Air Park resulted in the fatal crash of a Cessna 150H and damage to a Piper PA-30, which landed safely with no injuries.
- The Piper was on a visual approach after canceling IFR and had been advised of traffic by air traffic control.
- Both aircraft utilized the airport's Unicom frequency, but communication was inadequate, with the Cessna pilot not stating intentions and the Piper pilot observing the other aircraft too late to take evasive action.
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