NTSB’s early report recounts fatal mid-air plane crash in Santa Cruz County

A federal civil aviation accident oversight agency has released a preliminary report detailing the final minutes before two planes collided in a fatal crash above Watsonville Municipal Airport last month.

WATSONVILLE — A federal civil aviation accident oversight agency has released a preliminary report detailing the final minutes before two planes collided in a fatal crash above Watsonville Municipal Airport last month.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, multiple witnesses reported hearing pilots from the two planes communicating over the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency. Three people were killed in the Aug. 18 crash, which occurred shortly before 3 p.m. and destroyed both planes.

A single-engine Cessna 152, piloted by Stuart Camenson, 32, of Santa Cruz, had completed four touch-and-go landings prior to the crash, according to the report. A twin-engine Cessna 340, piloted by Carl Kruppa, 75, of Winton, was northeast of the airport when he reported he was 10 miles out and planned to descend for a straight-in approach to runway 20. Later, Kruppa reported that he was 3 miles out and straight in for runway 20, then shortly after, 1 mile out, looking for traffic on left base.

Camenson responded that he saw the other plane and that it was behind him and that he would go around, “because you are coming up on me pretty quick,” according to the report.

According to one witness’ report, the Cessna 340 was “on the Cessna 152’s tail” during its final approach path to the airport, as seen by a pilot flying over the airport at 1,300 feet mean sea level. Kruppa’s Cessna 340 then banked to the right and its left wing struck Camenson’s Cessna 152, the witness said. The observer then reported seeing both airplanes descend to the ground.

Another witness, observing the planes from her office window, took a photograph as the aircraft approached. Report investigators describe the Cessna 340 as appearing in the photograph to be in a steep right bank and the Cessna 152 appeared to be in a slightly nose-low altitude.

After its crash landing, the Cessna 152 came to rest on the airport property about 1,200 feet northeast of the approach end of runway 20 — near the edge of the airfield, about 100 feet from homes along Buena Vista Drive. The left wing, from the strut outboard, separated from the airplane and came to rest about 500 feet northeast of the main wreckage. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator separated and came to rest about 380 feet northeast of the main wreckage. Camenson was killed in the crash.

The Cessna 152 was registered to pilot school Monterey Bay Aviation Inc. and available for rent through United Flight Services, which is based at the Watsonville airport.

The Cessna 340 came to rest in a hangar located on the southeast side of the airport, where the crash ignited a fire. All major components of the Cessna 340 were located in the debris area. Two small sections of the Cessna 340’s left tip tank were located near the Cessna 152 wreckage. Pilot Kruppa and passenger Nannette Plett-Kruppa, 67, of Winton, also were killed in the crash.

Local conditions at the time of the crash include a 10-mile visibility window with clear skies and a winds at speed of a little over 10 mph.

Thursday’s crash report was a preliminary assessment of last month’s crash. The NTSB may spend as many as two years to write and release its final report, officials said.