North American SNJ-6 and Cessna 172 accident near Kissimmee, Florida, October 20, 2001
On October 20, 2001 at about 4:50 pm local time, 2 aircraft, North American SNJ-6 (N453WA) and Cessna 172 (N64AF), were involved in the same accident near Kissimmee, Florida (Kissimmee Municipal Airport). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the SNJ-6 pilot to maintain visual lookout, resulting in an on-ground collision with another airplane.
See narrative for ATL02LA007A.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2001 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Kissimmee, Florida · Kissimmee Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- North American SNJ-6 · all SNJ-6s on the register
- Registration
- N453WA · no longer on the register · serial 121-42823
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N64AF · registry record · serial 17280069
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the North American SNJ-6 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Cessna landed on runway 6, cleared the runway at taxiway Delta, and was instructed by ground control to hold position on the taxiway. The North American SNJ-6 pilot landed on runway 6, turned onto taxiway Delta, lost sight of the Cessna, and taxiied into the tail section of the Cessna . There were no injuries to the occupants of either airplane. The SNJ-6 sustained minor damage to the propeller and cowling. The Cessna sustained substantial damage; the rudder, vertical stabilizer, elevator, and horizontal stablizer were destroyed, the empennage displayed twisting up to the rear window, and the propeller was damaged.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Cessna landed on runway 6, cleared the runway at taxiway Delta, and was instructed by ground control to hold position on the taxiway. The North American SNJ-6 pilot landed on runway 6, turned onto taxiway Delta, lost sight of the Cessna, and taxiied into the tail section of the Cessna. There were no injuries to the occupants of either airplane. The SNJ-6 sustained minor damage to the propeller and cowling. The Cessna sustained substantial damage; the rudder, vertical stabilizer, elevator, and horizontal stablizer were destroyed, the empennage displayed twisting up to the rear window, and the propeller was damaged.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record for the North American SNJ-6 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,333 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 3,781 as pilot in command; 1,212 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,672.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 7, 2001; 50.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISM Kissimmee FL at 4:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 11 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from ISM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
The factual record for the Cessna 172 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,050 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 990 as pilot in command; 840 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 11, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 269 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,799 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 27, 2001; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISM Kissimmee FL at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 060, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N453WA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL02LA007.