AirBear

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-n...call-collision

by Chad Trautvetter
- April 18, 2018, 12:46 PM
The pilot of the Cessna Citation CJ4 that collided with a Cessna 150 on April 2 at Indiana’s non-towered Marion Municipal Airport (MZZ) “did not recall making a radio call on Unicom,” according to an NTSB preliminary report issued yesterday. Two witnesses "heard the Cessna 150 pilot on Runway 15 Unicom frequency.”

The Cessna 150 was departing Runway 15 when it struck the twinjet, which landed on Runway 22. Both occupants of the piston single were killed, while the CJ4 sustained “substantial damage,” the report said. “Evidence at the intersection showed that the airplanes came together perpendicular to each other…Examination of the accident site showed that the Cessna 150 had struck the empennage of the Cessna 525 at the intersection of Runways 15 and 22.”

According to the NTSB, the CJ4 pilot did not see the departing Cessna 150 while he was on a straight-in approach to Runway 22 or during the landing roll. The jet pilot did attempt to use onboard TCAS to scan for traffic on approach, the NTSB said, but "the TCAS did not show any traffic on the airport.”

Weather at the time of the accident was VFR, with four miles of visibility due to haze. The ends of MZZ's Runways 15/33 and 4/22 have signs warning pilots that traffic on 4/22 and 15/33, respectively, “Cannot Be Seen, Monitor Unicom 122.7."

sourdough44

Yeah, the Citation should of made some calls on the CTAF. Of course there can be NORDO traffic at the field, at least with a few calls the other should be aware of inbound traffic.

I’ve hear people on the wrong freq, or seen NORDO traffic, so always a good idea to be on alert. The ‘big sky’ theory can come up short at times.

rickair7777

The sky may be big, but runway intersections are not... and everybody uses them.

Flightcap

Very reminiscent of the twin turbo on T/O collision with a landing a/c accident from years back. My memory of the details are vague but one detail that stands out is zero radio calls from the aircraft taking off. The landing aircraft asked whether the departing aircraft would hold for them and a student pilot who was number 2 for takeoff answered that he was holding short. The aircraft met at the runway intersection. No survivors.

2StgTurbine

There is no excuse for not using the CTAF just because you are in a jet on an IFR flight plan does not mean you don't have to bother with the uncontrolled radio skills you were taught as a student pilot.

And I don't buy this "I looked at the TACS" excuse. The TCAS would not show an airplane that is on the ground or an airplane that didn't have a mode C transponder on. Also, if the pilot really did take a moment to "look" at the TCAS display that means that the pilot realized that traffic was a threat to safety but decided NOT to use the CTAF frequency.

AirBear

Coming from the Military straight to major airline then to fractional jets uncontrolled fields were something I hadn't seen since my single engine prop days in the mid to late 70's. We saw a fair number of uncontrolled fields at NetJets and we ALWAYS made calls on unicom. It's just crazy not to.

About 10 years ago in Hammond, LA we were doing a straight in ILS with a Citation Encore right after some weather had moved thru. The field was VFR now so there was one slow mover in the pattern that was nice enough to extend his downwind to let us in. As we landed I noticed a Bonanza down very low going from right to left at about our 1-2 O'Clock position. Then he banks and rolls out on final for the opposite runway, heading directly towards us. Talk about "Oh *******" moments. We flashed landing lights and prepared to go off in the grass if needed. About 50AGL he saw us and went around. After he landed and taxied to the self serve fuel pumps a FBO guy drove over to talk to them. An older pilot claimed his chart had the wrong Unicom freq. The airport's frequency had changed about 2 years prior so we're pretty sure he just had outdated charts

PowderFinger

Should have been listening to CTAF as a minimum.