# Accident 19991129045842A: Piper PA31T1, Seattle, WA, November 29, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 29, 1999, 19:20 local time - Place: Seattle, WA - Airport: Boeing Field-King County International - Damage: Minor damage - Collision: Midair collision, second aircraft - Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 47.5409° N, 122.3104° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.5409&lon=-122.3104&mi=10 - Aircraft: N93SH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N93SH) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31T1 (registry code 7103126, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t1) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA31T1 - Reported engine: PWA PT6A11 - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 20,687 total, 1,887 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA00LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA00LA026) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991129045842A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) SABRELINER N920DY WAS TAXIING TO PARKING AFTER LANDING. AN ASTRA JET REQUESTED TAXI FOR TAKEOFF AND SABRELINER 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 ASTRA JET TAXIING AND THOUGHT IT WAS THE SABRELINER. THE PILOT'S ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED LOOKING AT THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA. THE PIPER SUBSEQUENTLY TAXIIED 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 REPORTED 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 PILOT OF THE CHEYENNE 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. ## Other aircraft in the event - N920DY, Rkwell NA26565: [Accident 19991129045841A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991129045841A) ## 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 SEA00LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA00LA026), Nov 30, 1999: Piper PA-31T1 (N93SH), Seattle, WA, minor damage. Probable cause: Inadequate visual lookout and clearance was not maintained. Diverted attention, dark night conditions and rain were factors. 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.