NTSB Says Midair Pilot Overshot Pattern Turns

The NTSB has cited airmanship and an air traffic control failure in the midair collision of a Cirrus SR22 and a Key Lime Air Swearingen SA226TC at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado on May 12, 2021. The board found that the Cirrus pilot was going at least 50 knots over the recommended speed as he prepared to land. As a result, he overshot his turns from downwind to base to final by so much he ended up crossing the extended centerline of the adjacent parallel runway. That's exactly where the Swearingen happened to be, and the Cirrus sliced through the twin's fuselage. The Cirrus pilot activated the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and settled about three miles from the airport while the cargo plane, missing a big chunk of its fuselage, landed "uneventfully," according to the report. There were no injuries.

The report also says the Swearingen pilot had no idea the Cirrus was a factor because ATC didn't advise him as is required when parallel runways are in operation. The two aircraft were being handled by different controllers on separate frequencies and the controller working the Cirrus did issue the required advisory "Had the controller issued an advisory, the pilot of the Swearingen may have been able to identify the conflict and maneuver his airplane to avoid the collision," the report said.