FTW86FA027

Factual narrative

MID-AIR OCCURRED AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT WITH THE S-2B EXECUTING RT TRAFFIC, AS PUBLISHED, AND THE C-172 EXECUTING A LONG FINAL OR AN ARCING LFT TURN TO FINAL. BOTH ACFT WERE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RWY 17R. ACDT OCCURRED DURING LATE AFTERNOON AND THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE SUN GLARE. THE S-2B CAME OUT OF THE SUN AND COLLIDED WITH THE RT SIDE OF THE C-172 EMPENNAGE, CAUSING THE TAIL TO SEVER. AT THE TIME, C-172 WAS WINGS LEVEL IN A SLIGHT DESCENT, S-2B WAS IN A RT BANK, SLIGHT NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, DESCENDING. C-172 CRASHED IN AN OPEN FLD AND S-2B REGAINED CONTROL AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGE. WITNESSES STATED THAT C-172 DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AND PLT'S IN S-2B STATED THAT THEY DID NOT SEE THE C-172 UNTIL AFTER THE COLLISION. ARPT MGR DID NOT RECALL HEARING EITHER ACFT TRANSMIT ON UNICOM. SUN GLARE WOULD HAVE MADE ACQUISITION OF S-2B DIFFICULT FOR C-172 AND RESTRICTED VISIBILITY OUT OF S-2B AFFECTED VISUAL ACQUISITION OF C-172 BY IT'S PILOTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12