NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On April 6, 2002, about 1554 eastern sandard time, a Flugzeugbau Extra EA-300L, N125EX, and a Navion B, N5335K, registered to private owners, operating as 14 CFR Part 91 personal flights, collided in flight while landing to runway 09 right at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for either airplane. Both airplanes sustained substantial damage. The private pilot in N125EX and the private pilot and commercial pilot passenger in the N5335K reported no injuries. The Extra flight originated from Cross City, Florida, at 1430. The Navion flight originated from Perry, Florida, on April 6, 2002, at 1303.

The Extra pilot stated he reviewed the Sun n' Fun Notice to Airman on the internet before flying to Lakeland. Upon arrival in the Lakeland area he tuned up the ATIS information and conducted the Lake Parker arrival and entered a left downwind. Another Extra airplane was located behind him in the traffic pattern. He observed other airplanes in front of him and planned his approach to runway 09 right. He heard the controller state keep it rolling, so he followed the other airplanes to runway 09 right. He observed the Navion airplane ahead of him and continued his approach. As he was getting close to the ground he heard an impact off his right side. He looked to the right and saw both occupants in the Navion looking over their shoulder towards him. At that time he realized that he had landed on top of the Navion.

The Navion pilot stated he touched down on runway 09 right and was on the rollout when he felt like his airplane was being pushed forward and then he heard a loud crash towards the rear of the airplane. The airplane pitched forward on its nose gear. He looked rearward to the left and saw the nose section and canopy of the Extra over the left wing. His airplane continued rolling down the runway and he conducted an emergency shutdown.

The controller working the local north position and all arrivals from Lake Parker stated he made two blanket broadcasts within seven minutes of the aircraft telling all aircraft on his frequency that they would be landing on runway 09 left.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

Review of information on file with the FAA Airman's Certification Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the Extra pilot was issued a private pilot certificate on March 20, 1991, with ratings for airplane single engine land. The pilot held a third class medical certificate issued on April 1, 2002, with the restriction must have available glasses for near vision. The pilot reported on his application for the FAA third class medical certificate that he had accumulated 1,150 hours.

Review of information on file with the FAA Airman's Certification Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the Navion pilot was issued a private pilot certificate on July 12, 1981, with ratings for airplane single engine land. The pilot held a third class medical certificate issued on August 17, 2000, with the limitation must wear corrective lenses. The pilot reported on his application for the FAA third class medical certificate that he had accumulated 350 hours.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

Review of aircraft records for the Extra revealed the last recorded annual inspection was completed on July 1, 2001, and the airplane had flown 80 hours since the inspection. The airplane had accumulated 326 total airframe hours.

Review of aircraft records for the Navion revealed the last recorded annual inspection was completed on July 15, 2001 and the airplane had flown 14.9 hours since the inspection. The engine was overhauled by Pacific Continental Engines Inc., on May 30, 1980 and had accumulated 832.81 hours. The airplane had accumulated 4,605 total airframe hours.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The nearest weather reporting facility at the time of the accident was Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, Florida. The 1554 surface weather observation was: wind 030-degrees at 10 knots, visibility 15 miles, few clouds at 7,000, temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point temperature 41 degrees Fahrenheit, and altimeter 30.09.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The in-flight collision between the Extra and the Navion was 340 feet west of centerline of A3 intersection. The wreckage of the Extra was located in a nose down attitude adjacent to the center line of intersection A3 and north of the runway centerline of runway 09 right on a heading of 050-degrees magnetic. The Navion was located off the south side of runway 09 right 1,259 feet from the initial point of impact on a heading of 115 degrees magnetic.

Examination of the crash site revealed the Navion was heading about 090-degrees magnetic on landing rollout while the Extra was in a slight nose up attitude descending on a heading of 088-degrees magnetic when it collided with the tail section, empennage, cabin canopy sliding roof, left wing, and left forward side of the Navion's fuselage.

Examination of the Extra revealed the lower engine cowling was cracked aft of the forward nose air screen. Gray paint transfer was noted on the lower engine cowling. The top engine cowling was not damaged. The propeller spinner was not damaged. All three composite propeller blades separated about 18 inches outboard of the propeller hub.

The leading edge of the right wing was damaged 3 feet outboard of the wing root extending outboard 6- feet 11- inches and the stall-warning vane was bent aft. Plexiglas from the Navion's sliding canopy roof was imbedded in the leading edge of the Extra's right wing. The upper surface of the right wing was not damaged. The upper surface of the right aileron had a VHF antenna from the Navion impaled through the upper and lower surface of the aileron. The lower surface of the right wing was damaged from the wing root extending outboard to the wing tip. The right aileron spade was bent backwards. The right main fuel tank was ruptured. The leading edge of the right main landing gear strut had evidence of gray paint transfer and the wheel pant was separated.

The left and right side of the empennage, left and right horizontal stabilizers elevators, rudder, vertical stabilizer, rear tail wheel, forward and aft cabin area and canopy were not damaged.

The upper surface of the left wing was not damaged. The upper surface of the aileron outboard tip and lower wing surface tip was scraped. The lower surface of the left wing was not damage. The left wing main fuel tank was not ruptured. The left wing aileron spade was damaged. The left main landing gear strut was split in half and the wheel assembly and wheel pant was separated. The leading edge of the left main landing gear strut had gray paint transfer present. A tire transfer mark was present on the bottom left fuselage 11- inches aft of the landing gear strut and the lower fuselage was cracked.

Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of a pre-crash mechanical failure or malfunction. Continuity of the flight controls was confirmed for pitch, roll, and yaw. There were no separated or disconnected flight control cables. Control continuity was established to the primary and secondary flight controls.

Examination of the engine assembly and accessories revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. The crankshaft was rotated by hand and internal engine continuity was confirmed. All six cylinders produced compression. Ignition was present on all 12-ignition leads. The left and right magnetos sparked at all ignition towers. Fuel was present in the fuel control injector body and no fuel was present in the fuel manifold.

Examination of the Navion wreckage revealed the engine assembly and the propeller assembly remained attached to the airframe. The engine assembly was displaced to the left. One propeller blade was bent aft about 15-degrees with some twisting towards the low pitch. Chord wise scarring was present on the camber side. The remaining propeller blade was not damaged. The nose wheel was collapsed and displaced to the left.

The cabin windshield was broken and four propeller strikes were present on the upper windshield support brace and the support brace was displaced to the right. The aft sliding canopy was broken; the support brace separated and had evidence of a propeller strike. The fuselage skin forward of the right windshield brace was crushed inward and displaced to the left.

The right wing was bent aft and sustained upward and outward diagonal crushing along the leading edge of the wing 3- feet 5- inches outboard of the wing root. The right wing tip was partially separated. The right main fuel tank was ruptured and fuel was leaking on the grass. The right main landing gear was compressed upward into the lower surface of the right wing. The flaps were extended 1 notch and the flight control surface was attached.

The right side of the cabin area was crushed downward on the right side level with the right wing. The lower fuselage aft of the cabin area on the right side was displaced upward and inward. The upper surface of the empennage located behind the cabin area was crushed inward on the top 3 feet aft of the cabin. A gray paint transfer was present. The left and right horizontal stabilizer and elevators were compressed downward. The vertical stabilizer was displaced to the left. The lower fuselage aft of the cabin area on the left side was compressed inward to the right.

The left wing was bent downward five feet outboard of the wing root. The right main landing gear was compressed upward. The left main fuel tank was not ruptured.

Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of a pre-crash mechanical failure or malfunction. Continuity of the flight control system was confirmed for pitch, roll, and yaw. The flight control cables were not separated or disconnected. Control continuity was established to the primary and secondary flight controls.

Examination of the engine assembly revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. The crankshaft was rotated by hand and internal engine continuity was confirmed. All four cylinders produced compression. Fuel was present in the carburetor and in the fuel lines forward of the engine firewall. All spark plugs exhibited light grayish brown carbon deposits in color. The bottom spark plugs exhibited heavy lead deposits. Both magnetos sparked at all towers through the ignition leads. The ignition harness sustained impact damage.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Toxicology specimens from Extra pilot, Navion pilot, and pilot rated passenger in the Navion were not performed. Toxicology samples from the controllers were not performed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Review of Sun ' Fun 2002 Notice To Airman effective April 7-13 states on page 10 Traffic Pattern, "All arriving aircraft enter the Class D airspace only via the Sun N' Fun-Lake Parker Arrival Procedure. Only left traffic for runway 09L or right traffic for Runway 27R will be used with downwind leg entry close to the airport over Airport Road.

If landing 9L you may be instructed by the tower controller to land on either the runway threshold, spot one or spot two.

NOTE-

9L/27R is a narrow strip 75 feet wide, which is usually a taxiway.

DO NOT Land on the main, wide, runway 9R/27L unless specifically instructed by the Control Tower. Use caution for special events and fly-by aircraft using the main runway with opposite-direction base leg entries. All landing traffic must remain alert for possible wave-offs, either by, radio, RED SMOKE, OR HAND SIGNALS from red shirted air traffic controllers located near the approach end of the runway. Plan landing so as to clear the runway as soon as possible on a hard surface."

The NOTAM states on Page 20, WARBIRD SOUTH ARRIVALS, "This procedure shall ONLY be used by aircraft that will be on DISPLAY in the Sun n'Fun Warbird area. Warbird aircraft, using this procedure, shall report to Lakeland Tower on frequency 135.9 MHz when ten (10) miles due south of the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. This report should state: "Warbird south arrival, color, and type aircraft, position."

Review of 14 CFR Part 91.123 Compliance with ATC clearances and instructions states in Para (a), "When an ATC clearance has been obtained, no pilot in command may deviate from the clearance unless an amended clearance is obtained, an emergency exists, or the deviation is in response to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system resolution advisory. However, except in Class A airspace, a pilot may cancel an IFR flight plan if the operation is being conducted in VFR weather conditions. When a pilot is uncertain of an ATC clearance, that pilot shall immediately request clarification from ATC. (b) Except in an emergency, no person may operate an aircraft contrary to an ATC instruction in an area in which air traffic control is exercised."

Review of 14 CFR Part 91.113 Right-of-way rules: Except water operations states in Para (b) General. " When weather conditions permit, regardless of weather an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft. When a rule of this section gives another aircraft the right-of-way, the pilot shall give way to that aircraft and may not pass over, under, or ahead of it unless well clear. (f) Overtaking. Each aircraft that is being overtaken has the right-of-way and each pilot of an overtaking aircraft shall alter course to the right to pass well clear. (g) Landing. Aircraft while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight operating on the surface, except that they shall not take advantage of this rule to force an aircraft off the runway surface which has already landed and is attempting to make way for an aircraft on final approach. When two or more aircraft are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing, the aircraft at the lower altitude has the right-of-way, but it shall not take advantage of this rule to cut in front of another which is on final approach to land or to overtake that aircraft."

The wreckage of N125EX was released to the registered owner on April 7, 2002. The wreckage of N5335K was released to the Manager for Air Acres Museum on April 7, 2002.

NTSB Probable Cause

The Extra 300L pilot's failure to maintain a visual lookout resulting in a midair collision while landing. Contributing to the accident was the Extra pilot's failure to follow written instructions contained in a NOTAM, and ATC instructions resulting in the Extra pilot making an approach to the wrong runway.