NTSB Preliminary Report Gives More Insight Into Crash

While the National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the midair collision of two small planes over Sharonville, a recording of the radio transmissions from both planes also sheds more light on the accident.

The NTSB filed one report for each plane involved, but many of the details are the same:

"No pre-impact anomalies were detected during the examination of either airplane." "The radar data showed that about 1902, the airplanes' radar returns came together." A witness told investigators, "I looked out my window right in front of my desk after [a co-worker] said 'Oh My God.' I then saw the two planes within about 1/2 mile apart and heading in a direction towards each other but not directly head on. When the planes were very close, ... both rolled inside towards each other and that is when the wings clipped each other."

University of Dayton professor and local flight instructor Andrew Sarangan said he has a scanner at home that continuously records all neighborhood airport frequencies.

On May 11, his recording caught transmissions from the two pilots involved in the crash. As there is no control tower at the Blue Ash Airport, the transmissions are designed to notify other planes in the area of each pilot's intentions.

While the transmissions sound like they take place within seconds of each other, Sarangan said that the recording program stops recording when there is no transmission, so there's no way to know how close the transmissions took place.

Niels Harpsoe: "Blue Ash traffic, Bonanza 1835 Lima is five miles north of the field. We'll be entering left downwind runway 6."

David Woeste: "Blue Ash traffic, Cessna 6614D has just departed Runway 6, now departing on heading 320, climbing through 2,100 feet. We'll be looking for the Bonanza on the inbound."

Niels Harpsoe: "Blue Ash traffic, Bonanza 35 Lima, four miles to the field at 3,000 feet. We'll be entering left downwind Runway 6."

The tape indicates that Harpsoe's Bonanza was preparing to land at Blue Ash, while Woeste's Cessna was taking off.

After Harpsoe's last clear transmission, there is a brief squelch with someone talking in the background, which may have happened when the planes collided over Sharonville.

A full report from the NTSB could take a year to complete.

Pilots Looked For Each Other Before Crash

Source: Yahoo! News