Warbird Information Exchange

Pilots unharmed after SoCal biplane collision

Saturday, February 3, 2007

(02-03) 21:06 PST Los Angeles (AP) --

Two World War II-era biplanes collided midair Saturday forcing one to land in the water but the pilots walked away without injury, authorities said.

Ralph Baxter, 82, a former Navy and airline pilot, was performing acrobatics in his 1940 Waco when his plane was struck by a 1942 Stearman. The crash occurred at about 3 p.m. a mile off the coast of San Pedro's Cabrillo Beach, authorities said.

Although the Stearman's propeller was damaged, the pilot managed to return to the Torrance Airport, about seven miles away. He landed safely, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.

His identity was not immediately released.

Baxter, meanwhile, managed to steer the Waco toward shore even though the plane's tail was partially shredded. The plane landed in shallow water near the breakwater and flipped over, authorities said.

Lifeguards removed Baxter's seatbelt and he was able to walk to the shore, said Melissa Kelley, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles city Fire Department.

Baxter appeared to be uninjured but was taken to a hospital for examination and then released, she said.

"He said that he was an acrobatic pilot" and the area is known as one where pilots can practice aerobatics, she said.

The weather was clear at the time and details of the accident were not immediately clear, Gregor said.

The pilots were the only people aboard the planes, he said.

The cause of the crash was under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.