1973 Sunnyvale mid-air collision

1973 mid-air collision over California Accident 1973 Sunnyvale mid-air collision 1973 04 12 y Mid-air collision due to ATC error 1 km south of Moffet Field, California 37 24 00 N 122 2 28 W inline,title region:DE-BW_type:landmark_scale:30000 16 1 Convair CV-990-30A-5 Coronado File:NASA Convair 990 N711NA.jpg N711NA, the CV-990 involved, seen in 1965 NASA "Galileo" N711NA Moffet Field, California Moffet Field, California 8 3 11 11 0 Lockheed P-3C Orion File:Lockheed P-3C Orion, United States - US Navy (USN) JP7477053.jpg A US Navy P-3C Orion, similar to the accident aircraft United States Navy 157332 Moffet Field, California Moffet Field, California 6 5 1 6 On April 12, 1973, a NASA Convair CV-990 and a US Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion collided on approach to Moffet Field, California. The two aircraft crashed on a golf course, killing all 11 on the CV-990 and 5 of the 6 on board the Orion. Aircraft One of the aircraft involved was 157332, a Lockheed P-3C Orion operated by the US Navy built in 1970. It was assigned to Patrol Squadron 47.VPNAVY - United States Navy Patrol Squadrons VP-47 Memorial Page https://www.vpnavy.com/vp47mem_20nov2000.html 2026-01-14 www.vpnavy.comRanter Harro Accident Lockheed P-3C Orion 157332, Thursday 12 April 1973 http://aviation-safety.net/asndb/330217 2026-01-14 aviation-safety.net The other was N711NA, a Convair CV-990-30A-5 Coronado operated by NASA. The aircraft was built in 1961 and was modified into a flying observatory. The modifications included optically refined windows in the upper fuselage. The aircraft was nicknamed "Galileo".Ranter Harro Accident Convair CV-990-30A-5 Coronado N711NA, Thursday 12 April 1973 https://aviation-safety.net/asndb/330218 2026-01-14 aviation-safety.net Accident The Orion departed for a training flight five and a half hours prior to the accident. The plane was flying over the ocean off Big Sur and then returned to Moffet Field to perform touch-and-go landings on runway 32L, which it continued to do for the next hour and a half. The CV-990 was returning from a two-hour flight over Monterey Bay where it was testing a system for surveying sea mammals. 2017 Collision on final approach https://ianabbott.com/images/Collision_on_Final_Approach.pdf 2026-01-14 Ian E. Abbott The weather at the airport was good, with great visibility. At 14:46 local time, the CV-990 was cleared for approach to runway 32R. Three minutes later, the CV-990 was cleared to approach runway 32L, the runway the Orion was performing touch-and-go landings on. The pilot of the CV-990 replied "32L, thank you", and the pilot of the P-3 stated "...touch-and-go left side." The CV-990 was descending directly above the P-3, when, according to eyewitnesses, the P-3 initiated a climb. The CV-990 struck the P-3's upper aft fuselage at an altitude of 300 feet and the aircraft crashed entangled on the Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course a kilometer short of the runway. All 11 on board the CV-990 and 5 of the 6 on board the P-3 died in the crash and ensuing fire.Midair Collision Near Coast Base Kills 16 https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/13/archives/midair-collision-near-coast-base-kills-16.html 2026-01-14 www.nytimes.com16 Killed As Planes Crash At Sunnyvale https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19730413.2.6&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-------- 2026-01-14 www.cdnc.ucr.eduCrash of a Convair CV-990-30A-5 at Moffett AFB: 11 killed https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-convair-cv-990-30a-5-moffett-afb-11-killed 2026-01-14 www.baaa-acro.comCrash of a Lockheed P-3C-125-LO Orion at Moffett AFB: 5 killed https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-lockheed-p-3c-125-lo-orion-moffett-afb-5-killed 2026-01-14 www.baaa-acro.com Cause The collision was a result of mistakes on part of the approach controller. The controller cleared the CV-990 for approach to a runway that the P-3 was already approaching. The crew of the CV-990 did not question this runway change. References Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1973 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Convair 990 Coronado Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Lockheed L-188 Electra Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in California Category:April 1973 in the United States Category:Mid-air collisions Category:History of Santa Clara County, California Category:NASA aircraft