19971023043529I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA34200T · Chicago/West Ch, IL · October 23, 1997

Date: October 23, 1997
Place: Chicago/West Ch, IL
Airport: Dupage
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N147FL
Reported as: Piper PA34200T
Reported engine: Continental TSIO360EB
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 412 total65 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: pilot intended early morning IFR 91 flight. His aircraft was parked in unfamiliar tarmac spot. During taxi, pilot did not see a ditch between his aircraft and taxiway due to darkness and rain. Pilot misjudged his position, and taxied the right landing gear in a ditch causing damage to propeller on right engine. Aircraft shut down. Twr contacted on initial notification. And aircraft towed to ramp for maintenance. Counseled airman on taxi procedures.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: PILOT INTENDED EARLY MORNING IFR 91 FLIGHT. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED IN UNFAMILIAR TARMAC SPOT. DURING TAXI, PILOT DID NOT SEE A DITCH BETWEEN HIS AIRCRAFT AND TAXIWAY DUE TO DARKNESS AND RAIN. PILOT MISJUDGED HIS POSITION, AND TAXIED THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR IN A DITCH CAUSING DAMAGE TO PROPELLER ON RIGHT ENGINE. AIRCRAFT SHUT DOWN. TWR CONTACTED ON INITIAL NOTIFICATION. AND AIRCRAFT TOWED TO RAMP FOR MAINTENANCE. COUNSELED AIRMAN ON TAXI PROCEDURES.