Date:	Monday 28 May 2012
Time:	16:04
Type:	Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N23SC
MSN:	2821217
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Five miles south of the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport - KHWY, VA -   United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	KCJR
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:



The Beechcraft V35B Bonanza (registration N6658R) was in a shallow climb, heading southbound, in the vicinity of Warrenton, Virginia. The aircraft was operated under visual flight rules for the purposes of a biennial flight review. The Piper PA-28-140 (registration N23SC) was in level flight, also under visual flight rules, and was heading in a southeasterly direction. At 16:04:45 EDT, the aircraft collided approximately 1800 feet above sea level. The Beechcraft broke up in flight, and the pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. There was a post-impact fire at the Beechcraft accident site. The pilot of the Piper, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, conducted a forced landing in a pasture, approximately 6 nautical miles south of the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport. The pilot sustained injuries, which required examination at a local hospital.

The pilot/owner of the Beech was an employee of the NTSB, and the pilot/owner of the Piper was an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and by mutual agreement, the United States delegated the accident investigation to the government of Canada. The NTSB designated an accredited representative to the investigation on behalf of the United States, and the FAA designated an advisor to the accredited representative.

Findings as to causes and contributing factors
1.Neither pilot saw the other aircraft in time to avert a mid-air collision, likely due to the inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid principle.
2.Following the receipt of a conflict alert, the controller assessed that there was no conflict between the 2 visual flight rules (VFR) aircraft and therefore did not issue an immediate safety alert. Subsequently, the controller was busy communicating with several instrument flight rules (IFR) aircraft, which precluded further monitoring of the 2 VFR aircraft.

Findings as to risk
1.In the absence of a means of alerting visual flight rules (VFR) pilots to potential conflicts to enhance the current see-and-avoid technique, the risk for mid-air collisions remains.

Other findings
1.The lack of a shoulder harness in the Piper contributed to the pilot’s injuries during the forced landing.

[LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.koco.com/news/national/Small-planes-collide-over-Virginia/-/9844074/14245046/-/9niyqmz/-/index.html]
http://www.fox5dc.com/story/18640244/planes-crash-in-fauquier-county
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=23SC&x=0&y=0
https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20120528X70400&key=2
http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2012/A12H0001/A12H0001.asp

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-May-2012 05:50	gerard57	Added
29-May-2012 09:41	Geno	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative]
29-May-2012 09:55	Geno	Updated [Total occupants, Phase]
03-Jun-2012 16:25	Alpine Flight	Updated [Time, Other fatalities]
17-Jun-2012 20:00	Geno	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
09-Sep-2014 15:06	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:28	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]