Cessna v Cirrus Mid-Air Reported Over Rock Springs, WY

ANN is monitoring the incoming details of a Sunday afternoon accident in which an SR22 with two persons on board was involved with in a midair collision with a Cessna 172 with a student pilot onboard. All three persons are confirmed dead.

The accident occurred over SW Wyoming, a few miles away from the Rock Springs airport and North of Rt. 80. According to an FAA spokesperson, the SR22 was under positive control and talking to a controller, while the Skyhawk was VFR and reportedly  not in communication with any known controlling entity.

The SR22 was reported to be enroute to the Rock Springs Airport from Polson, Montana while little is known about the nature of the C172's flight.

While video of the crash site (as seen in the screen grab, below, from KSL-TV) suggests that the parachute may have been partically deplyed, it is likely that this occured as a function of the forces involved in impact rather than an actual chute pull on the part of one of the victims, who appear to have been killed by the actual midair, itself.

Both aircraft apparently came apart in flight as a result of the mid-air impact and the remains of the aircraft are reportedly spread over several acres. The Sweetwater County Sheriff was alerted to the accident after receiving 911 calls about "an explosion in the sky" shortly after noon, local time. ANN will have more information on this tragedy, as it becomes available.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 758NH        Make/Model: C172      Description: 172, P172, R172, Skyhawk, Hawk XP, Cutla
  Date: 08/10/2008     Time: 1846

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: Y    Missing:
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: ROCK SPRINGS   State: WY   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N8341, A CIRRUS SR22 AIRCRAFT, AND N758NH, A CESSNA 172 AIRCRAFT, HAD A MID
  AIR COLLISION, THE TWO PERSONS IN N8341 AND THE ONE PERSON IN 758NH WERE
  FATALLY INJURED, 5 MILES FROM ROCK SPRINGS, WY

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: CLEAR

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: Other

  FAA FSDO: CASPER, WY  (NM04)                    Entry date: 08/11/2008

FMI: www.ntsb.gov