What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Due to other traffic, struck baggage cart in a parking area. (-23) great lakes aviation flt 6048, operating as united express, was involved in a ground collision while taxiing to parking. Aircraft was traveling east on the inner ramp area when its normal route was blocked by a nwa plane that was stopped on the ramp awaiting a gate assignment. Another aircraft operated by express I was exiting taxiway e onto the ramp behind the nwa aircraft. Pilot of gla flt 6048 elected to taxi through the parking area normally used by express I to gain access to his assigned parking area. Pilot stated he had turned off his taxi lights to avoid blinding other pilots. Ramp lighting was on. No aircraft were parked in the area through which 6048 was taxiing. The right engine propeller of the gla aircraft struck an unmanned hand baggage cart and boarding stool that was in the parking area. The equipment is normally left in this location in anticipation of arriving aircraft. Pilot stated to police he did not realize the area through which he was taxiing was a parking area.
As the FAA filed it
DUE TO OTHER TRAFFIC, STRUCK BAGGAGE CART IN A PARKING AREA. (-23) GREAT LAKES AVIATION FLT 6048, OPERATING AS UNITED EXPRESS, WAS INVOLVED IN A GROUND COLLISION WHILE TAXIING TO PARKING. AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING EAST ON THE INNER RAMP AREA WHEN ITS NORMAL ROUTE WAS BLOCKED BY A NWA PLANE THAT WAS STOPPED ON THE RAMP AWAITING A GATE ASSIGNMENT. ANOTHER AIRCRAFT OPERATED BY EXPRESS I WAS EXITING TAXIWAY E ONTO THE RAMP BEHIND THE NWA AIRCRAFT. PILOT OF GLA FLT 6048 ELECTED TO TAXI THROUGH THE PARKING AREA NORMALLY USED BY EXPRESS I TO GAIN ACCESS TO HIS ASSIGNED PARKING AREA. PILOT STATED HE HAD TURNED OFF HIS TAXI LIGHTS TO AVOID BLINDING OTHER PILOTS. RAMP LIGHTING WAS ON. NO AIRCRAFT WERE PARKED IN THE AREA THROUGH WHICH 6048 WAS TAXIING. THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER OF THE GLA AIRCRAFT STRUCK AN UNMANNED HAND BAGGAGE CART AND BOARDING STOOL THAT WAS IN THE PARKING AREA. THE EQUIPMENT IS NORMALLY LEFT IN THIS LOCATION IN ANTICIPATION OF ARRIVING AIRCRAFT. PILOT STATED TO POLICE HE DID NOT REALIZE THE AREA THROUGH WHICH HE WAS TAXIING WAS A PARKING AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.