OH MAN... Look At These Photos And Try NOT To Have Heart Palpitations!

Thanks to some excellent photography and some good luck, ANN has received permission to show you some extraordinary pictures of a CLASSIC high-wing v. low-wing midair collision/confrontation.

First, let us note that everyone is OK... and that this is an accident that could have been FAR worse... but once the pilots realized the situation they were in, they made the best decisions possible and survived to tell the tale.

Thanks to photographer Roger Cain, we now have amazing pix, from the best possible angle, to show you how these accidents DO occur.

Mind you; both airplanes were dealing with each other's blind spots in what is a truly "classic" midair scenario. So... take a look and learn... and think how you might change your own procedures and visual scans to avoid such a classic and hazardous situation.

The number of folks who can say they have survived a midair is awfully small, but thankfully, we've added a few to the survivor column, rather than the more ominous alternative.

It was NOT a happy new year when the high-wing Glastar taildragger and the Piper Cherokee mixed it up on final (note that this was a high-wing v. low-wing accident... a not-unheard-of factor in a number of midairs), but once again, all that really matters is that everyone survived to tell the tale.

** Report created 1/4/2008 Record 1 **
IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 15EX Make/Model: EXP Description: GLASTAR
 Date: 01/01/2008 Time: 2215
 Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: Y Missing:
 Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
 City: NAPA State: CA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
N8037W, A PIPER PA 28-180 ON FINAL APPROACH, STRUCK ANOTHER AIRCRAFT, N15EX, A GLASTAR, BOTH AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, NO INJURIES REPORTED, N8037W SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, N15EX SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, SONOMA VALLEYAIRPORT, NAPA, CA

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
 # Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
 # Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
 # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: APC 09015G20KT 10SM CLR 14/01 A3021
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: Other
FAA FSDO: SACRAMENTO, CA (WP25) Entry date: 01/02/2008

ANN thanks Roger Cain for the use of these photos... with our mutual hope that all those who see these pix resolve to operate their aircraft with even greater care and caution.  

FMI: www.ntsb.gov