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]
Key Takeaways:
Three people died in a mid-air collision between a Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340A at Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI) in Santa Cruz County, California.
Both aircraft were attempting to land on Runway 20 at the non-towered facility when the accident occurred.
LiveATC recordings indicate the Cessna 340 announced a straight-in approach, while the Cessna 152 was in the pattern; the 152 pilot attempted a go-around due to the 340's rapid approach just before impact.
ADS-B data shows the Cessna 340 was traveling at 182 knots in the traffic pattern, significantly faster than its normal approach speed of approximately 117 knots.
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.
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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.
