Amateur-built Glastar N15EX and Piper PA 28-180 N8037W accident near Sonoma, California

Probable cause

The departing pilot's inadequate visual lookout.

NTSB analysis

The pilots were attending a fly-in at the airport. One pilot in a low-wing airplane was landing, and the other pilot in a high-wing airplane was departing. The runup area for the landing runway is situated at the beginning of the runway so that following a runup, a pilot can depart straight from the runup area onto the runway. A witness said that the landing pilot had made radio transmissions around the traffic pattern, and then indicated that he was on final approach for landing. When the landing pilot was on short final, the departing pilot indicated that he was departing. The witness was flying above the airport and advised the departing pilot that an airplane was landing. The airplanes collided shortly thereafter. According to 14 CFR 91.113, Right-of-way rules: Except water operations, "Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or 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."

The pilots were attending a fly-in at the airport. One pilot in a low-wing airplane was landing, and the other pilot in a high-wing airplane was departing. The runup area for the landing runway is situated at the beginning of the runway so following a runup, a pilot can depart straight from the runup area onto the runway. A witness said that the landing pilot had made radio transmissions around the traffic pattern and then indicated that he was on final approach for landing. When the landing pilot was on short final, the departing pilot indicated that he was departing. The witness was flying above the airport and advised the departing pilot that an airplane was landing. The airplanes collided shortly thereafter. According to 14 CFR 91.113, Right-of-way rules: Except water operations, "Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or 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."

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for SEA08LA057 for the full record.