# Accident 19990820030509A: Piper PA28151, Houston, TX, August 20, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 20, 1999, 09:45 local time - Place: Houston, TX - Airport: Clover Field Airport - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.6099° N, 95.1197° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6099&lon=-95.1197&mi=10 - Aircraft: N43404 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28151 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 907 total, 325 in this make and model, 110 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA232) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990820030509A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON AUGUST 20, 1999, AT 0950 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-151, N43404, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE AND A MEMBER OF A GROUND PERSONNEL WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, WHENT HE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE PERSON WHILE TAXIING AT THE CLOVER FIELD AIRPORT, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT YET DEPARTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, A MEMBER OF THE AIRPORT GROUND PERSONNEL WITNESSED AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT ON AIRPORT GROUNDS. THE GROUND PERSON BEGAN TO RUN TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AND, WHEN HE WAS CROSSING A TAXIWAY, WAS STRUCK BY THE LEFT WING OF A TAXIING AIRPLANE. THE GROUND PERSON ROLLED OVER THE LEFT WING AND CAME TO REST ON THE TAXIWAY PAVEMENT. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND REMAINED IN THE HOSPITAL FOR MORE THAN 48 HOURS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING WAS DENTED APPROX. TWO FEET OUTBOARD OF THE WING ROOT. (.4)THE AIRPORT MANAGER WAS STRUCK BY THE LEFT WING OF A TAXIING AIRPLANE, WHILE HE WAS RESPONDING ON FOOT TO AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT ON THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IN THE AIRPLANE, SHE WAS TAXIING TOWARD THE ACCIDENT SITE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND OBSERVED THE AIRPORT MANAGER WALKING ADJACENT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY. SHE STATED THAT HE LOOKED AT THE AIRPLANE AND CONTINUED TO WALK, AND THEN 'UNEXPECTEDLY TURNED AND LOOKED AT US (THE AIRPLANE)' AS HE CHANGED DIRECTION AND MOVED TOWARD THE CENTERLINE OF THE TAXIWAY. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR 'BRAKED, PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK TO STOP,' AND TURNED THE AIRPLANE AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT MANAGER. THE LEFT WING THEN CONTACTED THE AIRPORT MANAGER, AND HE 'SLID BACKWARDS OVER THE WING SURFACE.' THE MANAGER REPORTED THAT AS HE WAS RESPONDING TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, HE OBSERVED TWO VEHICLES PASS HIM ON THE TAXIWAY AND ALSO OBSERVED A HELICOPTER LAND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. HE DOES NOT RECALL SEEING, HEARING, OR CONTACTING THE AIRPLANE. (-23)AIRCRAFT LEFT CHOCKS AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT FROM A NON-TOWER AIRPORT. WHILE AT DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY, PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF, INSTRUCTOR SA W A PEDESTRIAN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY AND CONTINUED TO TAXI TOWARD THE CRASH SITE; THE PEDESTRIAN STATED HE DOD NOT REMEBER SEEING AN AIRPLANE BEHIND HIM. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE PEDESTRAIN BEGAN MOVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ACROSS THE TAXIWAY. N4304 STRUCK THE PEDSTRAIN IN THE BACK, THROWING HIM OVER THE LEFT WING. THE IMPACT OCCURRED ABOUT 2 FEET OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT WING ROOT AND DENTED THE WING SKIN, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. THE PEDSTRAIN WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HOSPITALIZED FOR THREE DAYS. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. ## 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 FTW99LA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA232), Aug 20, 1999: Piper PA-28-151 (N43404), Houston, TX, minor damage. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the person (the airport manager) walking on the taxiway and the inadequate visual lookout by the airport manager. A factor was the airport… 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.