All survived but wow, is this kind of impromptu formation flying even allowed?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmHOP3Dssbc

 

http://news.ninemsn....-cockpit-camera

 

A cameraman has filmed the moment a light aircraft collided with another plane in mid-air and started plunging towards a beach in the Netherlands.

Footage of the accident, which occurred on Saturday local time, shows the two single-engine planes flying side-by-side before colliding and becoming stuck together at the wings.

Passengers can be heard shouting in panic as the connected planes struggle to hold their course and start descending towards the coast.

One plane was towing an advertisement for the country's Christian Democratic party (CDA) while the other, which had four passengers on board, was filming a commercial for the Socialist party, Dutch News reports.

The CDA plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a beach with a damaged wing while the other plane returned to Rotterdam airport and made a safe landing.

No one was injured in the collision.

The cameraman on board the SP’s Cessna, Eric Donk, told Dutch news channel RTL the encounter was "tense and frightening".

"We were some 150 metres above the ground. I could have touched the other plane if I had wanted to," Donk said.

Dutch aviation safety authorities are now investigating the near-disaster.

If the proper training and full briefing with all pilots, then it is allowed.

 

But clearly, I do not know what the .... the guy that flew over the PHX was thinking of.

Specially since both are high winged aircraft he should know that the view for the PHX pilot is limited.

 

They are lucky, this could have ended much worse, like the props colliding or that they would not be able to break free, and land with the weight of another aircraft on top of you is not a good idea.

 

Nice find.

Airbus says, this saves fuel. Wait, they did mean something else.

 

Seriously, ouch! Glad they've made it.

The guy who flew over the top of the other plane was clearly an idiot. What the hell was he thinking??

Depending on the nation but you do need permission to fly formations, usually for a photo opportunity.

##### was the guy who flew above the other guy thinking? Did he not see him or what?

You never know. Could have gotten hit by some wind gusts. Winds are weird off the coast also.

They were all pretty lucky - props are OK, wings did not rip off, cabin is still as a one piece...

Hope they all learned they lesson.

The cameraman in the right-hand seat could clearly see they were descending on top of the other plane, so presumably it was in the blind spot of the pilot in the left-hand seat?