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See and Avoid

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A recent fatal mid-air collision at Watsonville, California, between a Cessna 340 and a Cessna 152, led the author to speculate on its causes due to a personal connection to the airport and aircraft type.
  • The immediate cause was a failure of both pilots to "see and avoid," compounded by the 340's excessive speed on a long straight-in approach and the 152's adherence to its VFR pattern.
  • The author suggests both pilots had multiple opportunities to make minor adjustments to their flight plans, indicating a potential lack of flexibility or situational awareness for adapting to traffic at a busy non-towered airport.
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Watsonville, California, is where my Cessna 340 and I used to be based. It’s also where, as I write this, just a few days ago another Cessna 340 and a Cessna 152 unsuccessfully attempted to occupy the same place in the pattern at the same time. The resulting destruction of two aircraft and death of three people has garnered a lot of attention.

I try—I really try—to avoid speculating on causes of publicized accidents. Most all of us do it, but we just have too little data, even if the cause seems obvious. So, it is best to wait for more facts.

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