N4651VVarga Aircraft 2150A · 1978

On September 12, 2012, about 1915 central daylight time, a Varga model 2150A, N4651V, was struck from behind by a Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 airplane, N3793F, while landing on runway 21 at the Clinton Municipal Airport (CWI), Clinton, Iowa. There were no injuries. The tail of N4651V was severed by the propeller of N3793F. N4651V was registered to and operated by the commercial pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. N3793F was registered to an individual and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. Neither airplane was operating on a flight plan. N4651V departed CWI for a local flight about 1810. N3793F departed the Davenport Municipal Airport, Davenport, Iowa, about 1830.

The pilot of N4651V reported that he was returning from a local flight and had performed a practice VOR runway 21 instrument approach on his return to the airport. He stated that he made several radio transmissions on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) to report his position and intention to land. He stated that he did not hear any transmissions from aircraft in the CWI traffic pattern during his approach to the runway. He reported that after landing he heard a faint transmission on the CTAF frequency "...Clinton, short final...". The pilot reported that he was preparing to exit on a taxiway, and while still on the runway after landing he felt a sudden impact and he applied the brakes as firmly as possible. His airplane continued to move in a direction that resulted in an impact with a runway light and taxiway sign. Upon exiting the airplane he discovered that the tail of his airplane had been almost completely severed.

The pilot of N3793F reported that as he approached CWI he made several radio transmissions on the CTAF frequency announcing his position and intention to land. He stated that he heard no radio transmissions from other aircraft in the CWI traffic pattern and entered a left hand traffic pattern for runway 21. He announced his position when he was downwind, base, and final for runway 21. He reported that as the airplane was rolling out after touchdown, he suddenly saw the vertical tail of another airplane coming up his right side. He stated that he did not know that there was another airplane on the runway. N3793F struck the tail and aft fuselage of N4651V.

14 CFR 91.113g states that 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. When two or more aircraft are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing, the aircraft at the lower altitude has the right-of-way, but it shall not take advantage of this rule to cut in front of another which is on final approach to land or to overtake that aircraft.

CWI was a non-towered airport and regulations did not prohibit use of a straight-in approach for landing at non-towered airports.