The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) released a new video from its Early Analysis series providing an initial examination of a tragic accident that took place this past Thursday.
On August 18, 2022, a twin-engine Cessna 340A with two persons on board and a single-engine Cessna 152 with one person on board collided on final approach at Watsonville Municipal Airport in California. Sadly, all three occupants were killed in the tragic collision.
The weather was VFR, clear, with 10 miles visibility. The Cessna 152 had been doing traffic pattern work and was on a left base for Runway 20 turning final. The twin Cessna was on a straight-in approach for Runway 20.
“In Early Analysis: Midair Collision at Watsonville Municipal, the AOPA Air Safety Institute wants to help pilots understand what is known about the accident as we look at factors that are likely to be a subject of the official investigation, which is the responsibility of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB),” said AOPA’s ASI Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden. “This accident appears to be a midair collision as a result of a faster airplane overtaking a slower airplane on final approach.”
McSpadden continued, “ADS-B tracking data appears to indicate that the twin’s airspeed was high during descent and final approach to the runway.”
Early Analysis videos provide an initial assessment of prominent mishaps that generate large public interest and may indicate important safety lessons for the general aviation community.
