Merion air disaster
1991 mid-air collision / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Merion air disaster occurred in southeastern Pennsylvania on April 4, 1991, when a Piper Aerostar propeller-driven aircraft collided in mid-air with a Bell 412 helicopter over Merion Elementary School in Lower Merion Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia. All five people in both aircraft were killed, including United States Senator John Heinz, the sole passenger of the Piper.[2] Two schoolchildren on the ground were killed by falling debris. In addition to the seven total fatalities, five more people on the ground were injured.[1]
Date | April 4, 1991 (1991-04-04) |
---|---|
Summary | Mid-air collision due to pilot error on both aircraft |
Site | Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania 40.0017°N 75.2568°W / 40.0017; -75.2568 |
Total fatalities | 7 |
Total injuries | 5 |
Total survivors | 0 |
First aircraft | |
A Piper Aerostar similar to the one involved in the accident | |
Type | Piper Aerostar |
Registration | N3645D |
Flight origin | Williamsport Regional Airport |
Destination | Philadelphia International Airport |
Passengers | 1 |
Crew | 2 |
Fatalities | 3 |
Survivors | 0 |
Second aircraft | |
A Bell 412EP similar to the one involved in the accident | |
Type | Bell 412 |
Registration | N78S |
Passengers | 0 |
Crew | 2 |
Fatalities | 2 |
Survivors | 0 |
Ground casualties | |
Ground fatalities | 2 |
Ground injuries | 5[1] |
An investigation determined the cause of the accident to be poor judgment and pilot error of the crews from both aircraft.[1]