Piper PA 28-180 and amateur-built Glastar mid-air collision near Sonoma, California, January 1, 2008
On January 1, 2008 at about 10:30 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Piper PA 28-180 (N8037W) and amateur-built Glastar (N15EX), were involved in a mid-air collision near Sonoma, California (Schellville/Sonoma airport). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The departing pilot's inadequate visual lookout.
The departing pilot's inadequate visual lookout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2008 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sonoma, California · Schellville/Sonoma · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Piper PA 28-180 · all PA 28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N8037W · registry record · serial 28-2104
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Amateur-built Glastar
- Registration
- N15EX · registry record · serial 5496
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Piper PA 28-180 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilots were attending a fly-in at the airport. One pilot in a low-wing airplane was landing, and the other pilot in a high-wing airplane was departing. The runup area for the landing runway is situated at the beginning of the runway so that following a runup, a pilot can depart straight from the runup area onto the runway. A witness said that the landing pilot had made radio transmissions around the traffic pattern, and then indicated that he was on final approach for landing. When the landing pilot was on short final, the departing pilot indicated that he was departing. The witness was flying above the airport and advised the departing pilot that an airplane was landing. The airplanes collided shortly thereafter. According to 14 CFR 91.113, Right-of-way rules: Except water operations, "Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or operating on the surface, except that they shall not take advantage of this rule to force an aircraft off the runway surface which has already landed and is attempting to make way for an aircraft on final approach."
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 amateur-built Glastar final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilots were attending a fly-in at the airport. One pilot in a low-wing airplane was landing, and the other pilot in a high-wing airplane was departing. The runup area for the landing runway is situated at the beginning of the runway so following a runup, a pilot can depart straight from the runup area onto the runway. A witness said that the landing pilot had made radio transmissions around the traffic pattern and then indicated that he was on final approach for landing. When the landing pilot was on short final, the departing pilot indicated that he was departing. The witness was flying above the airport and advised the departing pilot that an airplane was landing. The airplanes collided shortly thereafter. According to 14 CFR 91.113, Right-of-way rules: Except water operations, "Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or operating on the surface, except that they shall not take advantage of this rule to force an aircraft off the runway surface which has already landed and is attempting to make way for an aircraft on final approach."
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 Piper PA 28-180 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Midair collision during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot of other aircraft
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 705 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 606 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,865 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2007; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O69 Petaluma CA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: OQ3 Sonoma CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 2,700 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from DVO, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
The factual record for the amateur-built Glastar from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Midair collision during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,300 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 8,100 as pilot in command; 4,850 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 340 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,960 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OQ3 Sonoma CA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: O70 Jackson CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 2,700 ft by 45 ft
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
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 SEA08LA057.