At about 14:30 EST, a Piper PA-28-236 and a Cessna 172M collided near Parkertown. None of the three occupants was injured. The pilot of the Piper said he was level at 3,300 feet and flying north when he felt a bump. He thought he hit a bird and returned to his departure airport, Lorain County Regional Airport. The airplane had a tire mark on top of the fuselage and damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot did not recall seeing the Cessna at all. The Cessna pilot said he departed from Sandusky, Ohio, and was climbing through 3,300 feet for 3,500 feet when he noticed a vertical fin just slightly to the right of the airplane. The pilot said there was no time to take evasive action. After impacting the Piper, the Cessna rolled to the left about 45 to 60 degrees and the pilot felt that he might not recover. The pilot rolled the wings level and looked out the left side of the airplane to see where the airplane he hit had gone, but saw nothing. The passenger door was torn from the Cessna, but the pilot determined it was controllable and flew to his home base in Norwalk, Ohio. Examination of the Cessna after the accident revealed shards of airplane aluminum skin and glass embedded in the bottom of the fuselage. The Pipers rudder counterweight was found in the baggage compartment of the Cessna.
Feb. 15, Parkertown, Ohio / Piper Dakota and Cessna 172
At about 14:30 EST, a Piper PA-28-236 and a Cessna 172M collided near Parkertown. None of the three occupants was injured. The pilot of the Piper said he was level at 3,300 feet and flying north when he felt a bump. He thought he hit a bird and returned to his departure airport, Lorain County Regional Airport. The airplane had a tire mark on top of the fuselage and damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot did not recall seeing the Cessna at all. The Cessna pilot said he departed from Sandusky, Ohio, and was climbing through 3,300 feet for 3,500 feet when he noticed a vertical fin just slightly to the right of the airplane. The pilot said there was no time to take evasive action. After im...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-28 and a Cessna 172 collided mid-air near Parkertown at approximately 3,300 feet, with all three occupants remarkably emerging without injury.
- The Piper pilot, flying level, was unaware of the Cessna, mistaking the impact for a bird strike, while the climbing Cessna pilot saw the Piper just before impact but had no time for evasive action.
- Both aircraft sustained significant damage; the Piper had a tire mark and vertical stabilizer damage, and the Cessna lost its passenger door, had debris embedded in its fuselage, and even contained the Piper's rudder counterweight in its baggage compartment.
- Despite severe damage, both pilots maintained control of their aircraft and successfully returned to their respective airports.
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