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NYC91LA015

1990-10-20 · KENT, Ohio, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 1G3

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION IN THE LANDING TRAFFIC PATTERN. FACTORS TO THIS MID-AIR COLLISION WERE THE EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF AIRPLANES IN THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN AND RADIO FREQUENCY CONGESTION.

Factual narrative

THE TWO CESSNA 152'S COLLIDED WHILE OPERATING IN A CONGESTED AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN. THERE WERE 7 AIRPLANES IN THIS PATTERN AT THE SAME TIME. THE AIRPORT HAS NO CONTROL TOWER. THE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY FLIGHT TRAINING COORDINATOR SAID, 'THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF TRANSIENT TRAFFIC THIS DAY...THE RADIO FREQUENCY WAS SATURATED WITH RADIO CALLS.' THE PILOTS LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY AIRPLANES AND SOME OF THESE WERE OT FAIMLIAR WITH THE NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN. AFTER THE MID AIR COLLISION, BOTH AIRPLANES WERE ABLE TO LAND SAFELY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_NYC91LA015.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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