19991129045841A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Rkwell NA-265-65 · Seattle, WA · November 29, 1999

Date
November 29, 1999 · 19:20 local
Place
Seattle, WA
Airport
Boeing Field-King County International
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision, first aircraft
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N920DY
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA00LA026
Reported as
Rkwell NA26565
Reported engine
Garrett TFE7313R
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
16,421 total1,817 in this make and model154 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.

(-23) Sabreliner N920DY was taxiing to parking after landing. An astrajet requested taxi for takeoff. Sabreline N920DY held its position on the taxiway to allow the astrajet to taxi out of the transient parking area. Piper N93SH had landed and was taxiing to the same transient parking area as the sabreliner. Ground control instructed Piper N93SH to follow the sabreliner. The pilot of Piper N93SH saw the astrajet taxiing for takeoff and thought it was the sabreliner. The pilot's attention was diverted looking at the transient parking area, and subsequently Piper 93SH taxied into the tail of the sabreliner, causing substantial damage. (.4) after N920DY, a sabreliner, landed and cleared the runway, ground control cleared the aircraft to taxi to the galvin ramp. Approximately three minutes later, N93SH, a Piper cheyenne, landed and made initial contact with ground control to also taxi to the galvin ramp. Prior to the cheyenne's contact with ground control, N795HB, an astra, contacted ground control to advise that they were ready to taxi out of the galvin ramp. Ground control cleared the astra to taxi up to, but to hold short of the taxiway for the sabr eliner that was inbound. When the sabreliner arrived at the ramp area, the pilot transmitted without identifying their call number or location for the astra to move out and that they would give way. The astra pilot then transmitted without identifying their call number or location, to ground control, that the sabreliner wanted them to move out. Ground control then cleared the astra to taxi to the runway and that the sabreliner would hold. By this time, the cheyenne was in contact with ground control. While the cheyenne was taxiing to the galvin ramp, ground control instructed the pilot to follow a sabreliner that was ahead on the taxiway going up the ramp. The pilot of the cheyenne responded that he had the aircraft in sight. The pilot of the cheyenne reported that as he approached the galvin ramp, he glanced over to the right, looking for a parking slot. When he resumed forward view down the taxiway, the landing light illuminated the tail end of an aircraft approximately six feet in front of him. The pilot applied the brakes, however the aircraft did not stop in time before colliding with the tail of the sabreliner that was still holding on the taxiway. Later, the cheyenne pilot reported that he mistook the astra for the sabreliner, and that it was the astra that he saw moving on the taxiway. The pilot also reported that he never saw the sabreliner on the taxiway, and that ground control did not warn him that it was holding on the taxiway and not moving. At the time, it was dark night conditions with light rain falling.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) SABRELINER N920DY WAS TAXIING TO PARKING AFTER LANDING. AN ASTRAJET REQUESTED TAXI FOR TAKEOFF. SABRELINE N920DY HELD ITS POSITION ON THE TAXIWAY TO ALLOW THE ASTRAJET TO TAXI OUT OF THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA. PIPER N93SH HAD LANDED AND WAS TAXIING TO THE SAME TRANSIENT PARKING AREA AS THE SABRELINER. GROUND CONTROL INSTRUCTED PIPER N93SH TO FOLLOW THE SABRELINER. THE PILOT OF PIPER N93SH SAW THE ASTRAJET TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF AND THOUGHT IT WAS THE SABRELINER. THE PILOT'S ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED LOOKING AT THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA, AND SUBSEQUENTLY PIPER 93SH TAXIED INTO THE TAIL OF THE SABRELINER, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.4) AFTER N920DY, A SABRELINER, LANDED AND CLEARED THE RUNWAY, GROUND CONTROL CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT TO TAXI TO THE GALVIN RAMP. APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES LATER, N93SH, A PIPER CHEYENNE, LANDED AND MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH GROUND CONTROL TO ALSO TAXI TO THE GALVIN RAMP. PRIOR TO THE CHEYENNE'S CONTACT WITH GROUND CONTROL, N795HB, AN ASTRA, CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL TO ADVISE THAT THEY WERE READY TO TAXI OUT OF THE GALVIN RAMP. GROUND CONTROL CLEARED THE ASTRA TO TAXI UP TO, BUT TO HOLD SHORT OF THE TAXIWAY FOR THE SABR ELINER THAT WAS INBOUND. WHEN THE SABRELINER ARRIVED AT THE RAMP AREA, THE PILOT TRANSMITTED WITHOUT IDENTIFYING THEIR CALL NUMBER OR LOCATION FOR THE ASTRA TO MOVE OUT AND THAT THEY WOULD GIVE WAY. THE ASTRA PILOT THEN TRANSMITTED WITHOUT IDENTIFYING THEIR CALL NUMBER OR LOCATION, TO GROUND CONTROL, THAT THE SABRELINER WANTED THEM TO MOVE OUT. GROUND CONTROL THEN CLEARED THE ASTRA TO TAXI TO THE RUNWAY AND THAT THE SABRELINER WOULD HOLD. BY THIS TIME, THE CHEYENNE WAS IN CONTACT WITH GROUND CONTROL. WHILE THE CHEYENNE WAS TAXIING TO THE GALVIN RAMP, GROUND CONTROL INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO FOLLOW A SABRELINER THAT WAS AHEAD ON THE TAXIWAY GOING UP THE RAMP. THE PILOT OF THE CHEYENNE RESPONDED THAT HE HAD THE AIRCRAFT IN SIGHT. THE PILOT OF THE CHEYENNE REPORTED THAT AS HE APPROACHED THE GALVIN RAMP, HE GLANCED OVER TO THE RIGHT, LOOKING FOR A PARKING SLOT. WHEN HE RESUMED FORWARD VIEW DOWN THE TAXIWAY, THE LANDING LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE TAIL END OF AN AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY SIX FEET IN FRONT OF HIM. THE PILOT APPLIED THE BRAKES, HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT STOP IN TIME BEFORE COLLIDING WITH THE TAIL OF THE SABRELINER THAT WAS STILL HOLDING ON THE TAXIWAY. LATER, THE CHEYENNE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE MISTOOK THE ASTRA FOR THE SABRELINER, AND THAT IT WAS THE ASTRA THAT HE SAW MOVING ON THE TAXIWAY. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT HE NEVER SAW THE SABRELINER ON THE TAXIWAY, AND THAT GROUND CONTROL DID NOT WARN HIM THAT IT WAS HOLDING ON THE TAXIWAY AND NOT MOVING. AT THE TIME, IT WAS DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT RAIN FALLING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.