# Accident 19971229046529A: Beech E18S, Dallas-Ft Worth, TX, December 29, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 29, 1997, 21:52 local time - Place: Dallas-Ft Worth, TX - Airport: Dallas-Fort Worth International - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: HBCA - Location: 32.8972° N, 97.0377° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DALLAS-FORT WORTH INTL (DFW), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8972&lon=-97.0377&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4980V, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4980V-2018-01-19) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech E18S (registry code 1151006, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-e18s) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 series (registry code 52008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-985-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH E18S - Reported engine: PWA R985AN1 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 15,000 total, 4,000 in this make and model, 171 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA080) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971229046529A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) NO NARRATIVE. (.4) TWO BEECH E18S AIRPLANES (FROM SAME OPERATOR) TOOK OFF 10 MINUTES APART FROM THE SAME LOCATION ON A NIGHT CARGO FLIGHT. THEY ARRIVED 4 MINUTES APART & LANDED ON RUNWAY 36L. AFTER THE 1ST PLANE (N2069C) LANDED, TOWER CLEARED THE PILOT TO 'TAXI TO THE RAMP.' APPROACHING THE UPS RAMP, THE PILOT OF THE 1ST PLANE CONTINUED MONITORING THE TOWER, BUT CONTACTED THE RAMP CONTROLLER (UPS), USING A 2ND RADIO. HE WAS TOLD BY UPS 'TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RAMP.' MEANWHILE, THE 2ND PLANE (N4980V) WAS CLEARED (BY TOWER) 'TO TAXI TO THE RAMP.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE 2ND PLANE COLLIDED WITH THE 1ST PLANE, WHICH HAD STOPPED ON THE TAXIWAY SHORT OF THE CARGO RAMP. THE 1ST PLANE WAS FACING NEARLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE TAXIING AIRPLANE. BOTH PLANES WERE EQUIPPED WITH ROTATING BEACONS ON THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE & NAVIGATION LIGHTS ON THE WING TIPS & TAIL; ALTHOUGHT FOR AIRCRAFT APPROACHING FROM EITHER SIDE, ILLUMINATION FROM THE TAIL NAVIGATION LIGHT ON THIS MAKE/MODEL OF PLANE WAS BLOCKED BY THE VERTICAL STABILIZERS & RUDDERS. UPS HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS (TO THE 1ST PILOT) DID NOT SPECIFY WHERE TO HOLD. THE COLLISION OCCURRED IN AN AREA THAT WAS NOT VISIBLE TO THE TOWER. ALL TAXIWAYS WERE EQUIPPED WITH CENTERLINE LIGHTING. THE TAXIWAY'S CENTERLINE LIGHTING & BLUE EDGE LIGHTS WERE OPERATIONAL. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW98LA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA080), Dec 30, 1997: Beech E18S (N4980V), Dfw Airport, TX, minor damage. Probable cause: failure of the pilot in the 2nd airplane (N4980V) to see-and-avoid the standing airplane (N2069C). Related factors were: darkness, and inadequate (vague) instructions issued by the UPS ramp… ## Other reports on N4980V (6) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19980828028519I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980828028519I), Aug 28, 1998: Beech E18S (N4980V), Dallas-Ft Worth, TX. Pilot states that gear locked light was on and gear was down. Rolled about 200 ft. then gear collapsed. Propeller damage and both cowling underneath both flaps… - [Incident 19861224076649I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19861224076649I), Dec 24, 1986: Beech E18S (N4980V), Texarkana, AR, Minor damage. Fire in left engine en route. Engine shutdown. Safe landing. Primer line from carburetor to primer solenoid broken. - [Incident 19860421023359I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860421023359I), Apr 21, 1986: Beech E18S (N4980V), Columbia, MO, Minor damage. Wingtip struck rudder of parked 6888F during taxi for takeoff. - [Incident 19851208069859I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19851208069859I), Dec 8, 1985: Beech E18S (N4980V), Antioch, CA, Minor damage. Landed gear up. Claimed to have green light after selecting down position. Damage to flaps, belly and propellers. - [Accident 19830416014729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830416014729A), Apr 16, 1983: Beech E18S (N4980V), Davis, CA, Substantial damage. Inflight fire in right engine. Landed safely. Carburetor float fulcrum screw fell out. Fuel ignited by exhaust. - [Incident 19781201022029I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19781201022029I), Dec 1, 1978: Beech 18/ (N4980V), West Chicago, IL, Minor damage. Pilot lost visual contact with runway during takeoff roll due to snow. Hit a snowbank and ground looped. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.