Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 4 August 1968
Aircraft Type: Convair CV-580
Owner/operator: North Central Airlines
Registration Number: N4634S
Location: 18 km SW of Milwaukee, WI – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 11
Component Affected: Forward windshield and direct vision windows of the Convair 580.Forward windshield and direct vision windows of the Convair 580.
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
A CV-580 aircraft collided with a Cessna 150 N8742S at 2700 feet, resulting in the deaths of three occupants. The Cessna was on a VFR flight from Lombard, IL to Sheboygan, WI. The Convair crew reported a visual detection failure due to reduced visibility caused by insect smears, haze, smoke, and sunglare. The crew should have requested radar avoidance vectors.A CV-580 aircraft collided with a Cessna 150 N8742S at 2700 feet, resulting in the deaths of three occupants. The Cessna was on a VFR flight from Lombard, IL to Sheboygan, WI. The Convair crew reported a visual detection failure due to reduced visibility caused by insect smears, haze, smoke, and sunglare. The crew should have requested radar avoidance vectors.

Description

North Central flight 261, a CV-580, collided in mid-air with Cessna 150 N8742S (Home Airmotive) at 2700 feet. The Cessna cabin remained attached to the Convair’s forward baggage compartment. The Convair made a safe emergency landing at Milwaukee. The 3 Cessna occupants were killed. The Cessna was on a VFR flight from Lombard, IL to Sheboygan, WI. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The inability of the Convair 580 flight crew to detect the Cessna 150 visually in sufficient time to take evasive action, despite having been provided with three radar traffic advisories concerning the latter aircraft. Visual detection capabilities were substantially reduced by the heavy accumulation of insect smears on the forward windshield and direct vision windows of the Convair. Visibility was further reduced by haze, smoke and sunglare, and by the inconspicuous colour and lack of relative motion of the Cessna. Under these circumstances, the crew of the Convair should have requested a radar avoidance vector.”

Primary Cause

Visual detection failure due to reduced visibility.Visual detection failure due to reduced visibility.

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