One Aircraft Landing, Other Departing At Time Of Contact

Three escaped serious injury Friday evening when two aircraft collided over the runway at North Central State Airport (SFZ) in Smithfield, RI.

Just before 1800 local time, an arriving twin-engine Piper PA30 Twin Comanche (graphic shown above) with one person onboard landed atop a departing Beech A36 Bonanza with two aboard, according to FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac.

Fire crews from Smithfield responded to the initial 911 call from the airport, according to Fire Chief Joseph Mollo. They found the two planes about 750 feet apart on the runway with significant damage from the crash, as reported by the Woonsocket Call.

The pilot of the Piper was transported to be checked out at Rhode Island Hospital after suffering abrasions and other minor injuries, Mollo said. The occupants of the Bonanza were treated at the scene and suffered no apparent injuries. The pair were reportedly departing on a flight to New Jersey.

Officials did not immediately release the identities of those involved in the collision.

The Bonanza (type shown below) was taking off when the collision occurred, shearing its left wing off, Mollo said. The second plane also suffered damage to a wing and may have lost a small wing-tip fuel tank in the impact.

The Bonanza leaked some fuel as a result of the crash, but no post-impact fire resulted.

Jack Ryan, a private pilot from Skippack, PA, told the newspaper he had attempted to fly out of North Central earlier in the day to make his way home by visual flight rules but returned after encountering low visibility.

Inside the terminal when he heard the planes collide, he saw the Bonanza sliding down the runway.

"After it came to a stop, two occupants got out in a hurry. They started walking up the runway in the direction of the two-engine aircraft, which had come to a stop at a taxi strip," Ryan said.

North Central State Airport has no control tower and operates on a Unicom frequency. Both aircraft were reportedly under control of controllers at nearby T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.

It was not immediately clear what caused the accident, Salac said. FAA investigators arrived at the scene Friday night to investigate. 

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 7660Y        Make/Model: PA30      Description: PA-30/39 Twin Comanche, Twin Comanche CR
  Date: 06/06/2008     Time: 2145

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: Y    Missing:
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: PAWTUCKET   State: RI   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N27199, A BEECH A36 AIRCRAFT ON DEPARTURE, COLLIDED ON THE RUNWAY WITH
  N7660Y, A PIPER PA30 AIRCRAFT THAT WAS LANDING, ONE PERSON ON BOARD N7660Y
  SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE DESTROYED, NORTH CENTRAL
  AIRPORT, PAWTUCKET, RI

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: 2135Z CALM 10SM 006OVC

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Landing      Operation: Other

  FAA FSDO: BOSTON, MA  (EA61)                    Entry date: 06/09/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov