19991223044921A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Pitts S-2B · Santa Ana, CA · December 23, 1999

Date
December 23, 1999 · 12:14 local
Place
Santa Ana, CA
Airport
John Wayne Airport-Orange Cou
Phase of flight
Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision, first aircraft
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N87WY
Reported as
Pitts S2B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
800 total350 in this make and model50 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.

(.4)On December 23, 1999, at 1214 hours PST, a Pitts S-2B biplane, N87WY, collided with a Piper PA-28R-201, N43793, while taxing for takeoff from a tee hanger area at the Santa Ana, California, airport. The Piper PA-28R-201 was holding short of a taxiway at the hold line when the collision occurred. The Pitts S-2B, operated by the pilot, sustained minor damage. The Piper, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substabtial damage. Neither private pilot in the Pitts S-2B not the airline transport pilot in the Piper PA-28R was injured. The local area personal flights were being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plans were filed. A federal aviation administration inspector from the long beach, California, flight standards district office responded to the scene and interviewed the pilots. The Pitts pilot stated that he was between a tee hanger row when he had been cleared for takeoff. He said he was performing s-turns for forward visibility while taxing. During the second s-turn, he contacted the left wing and fuselage of the Piper, causing substantial damage. The Piper pilot stated that he was at the end of a tee hanger rows holding short of an active taxiway awaiting a clearance from ground control, and did not see the Pitts until collision. A ground witness was standing on the ramp at the end of a tee hanger row off the right wing of the Piper. He stated that the Piper was stationary and the Pitts taxied up from behind and tried to cut between the Piper and a tee hanger. The witness said he had to run from his location out of the path of the Pitts to keep from being hit. The Pitts pilot failed to sign for a registered letter from the safety board requesting the filing of a NTSB form 6120.1/2, pilot/operator aircraft accident report. (-23)on December 23, 1999, at 1214 PST, at John Wayne airport, the operator of a Pitts S-2B, N87WY, taxied into a Piper arrow, PA-28R-201, N43793. privacy data omitted, PIC of the Pitts,stated that he was cleared to takeoff and started his taxi. He stated that upon his second s-turn he clipped the left side and wing of the Piper. privacy data omitted Stated that he did not see the Piper. privacy data omitted, Owner and PIC of the Piper arrow, stated that he was instructed to hold short at the hold short line of taxiway golf. privacy data omitted Stated that there was not enough room for the Pitts to go around him on his left side. The Pitts sustained minor damage on its right wing tip, propeller, and air intake. The Piper had substantial damage on the left wing from the middle of its trailing edge to the center of the wing. The left side of the fuselage was buckled in front of the elevator and pushed out slightly in front of the left wing. This accident investigation is closed.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)ON DECEMBER 23, 1999, AT 1214 HOURS PST, A PITTS S-2B BIPLANE, N87WY, COLLIDED WITH A PIPER PA-28R-201, N43793, WHILE TAXING FOR TAKEOFF FROM A TEE HANGER AREA AT THE SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE PIPER PA-28R-201 WAS HOLDING SHORT OF A TAXIWAY AT THE HOLD LINE WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THE PITTS S-2B, OPERATED BY THE PILOT, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PIPER, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTABTIAL DAMAGE. NEITHER PRIVATE PILOT IN THE PITTS S-2B NOT THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT IN THE PIPER PA-28R WAS INJURED. THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHTS WERE BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLANS WERE FILED. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM THE LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND INTERVIEWED THE PILOTS. THE PITTS PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS BETWEEN A TEE HANGER ROW WHEN HE HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF. HE SAID HE WAS PERFORMING S-TURNS FOR FORWARD VISIBILITY WHILE TAXING. DURING THE SECOND S-TURN, HE CONTACTED THE LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE OF THE PIPER, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PIPER PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS AT THE END OF A TEE HANGER ROWS HOLDING SHORT OF AN ACTIVE TAXIWAY AWAITING A CLEARANCE FROM GROUND CONTROL, AND DID NOT SEE THE PITTS UNTIL COLLISION. A GROUND WITNESS WAS STANDING ON THE RAMP AT THE END OF A TEE HANGER ROW OFF THE RIGHT WING OF THE PIPER. HE STATED THAT THE PIPER WAS STATIONARY AND THE PITTS TAXIED UP FROM BEHIND AND TRIED TO CUT BETWEEN THE PIPER AND A TEE HANGER. THE WITNESS SAID HE HAD TO RUN FROM HIS LOCATION OUT OF THE PATH OF THE PITTS TO KEEP FROM BEING HIT. THE PITTS PILOT FAILED TO SIGN FOR A REGISTERED LETTER FROM THE SAFETY BOARD REQUESTING THE FILING OF A NTSB FORM 6120.1/2, PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT. (-23)ON DECEMBER 23, 1999, AT 1214 PST, AT JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT, THE OPERATOR OF A PITTS S-2B, N87WY, TAXIED INTO A PIPER ARROW, PA-28R-201, N43793. ^PRIVACY DAT^, PIC OF THE PITTS,STATED THAT HE WAS CLEARED TO TAKEOFF AND STARTED HIS TAXI. HE STATED THAT UPON HIS SECOND S-TURN HE CLIPPED THE LEFT SIDE AND WING OF THE PIPER. ^PRIVACY DATA^ STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE PIPER. ^PRIVACY D^, OWNER AND PIC OF THE PIPER ARROW, STATED THAT HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF TAXIWAY GOLF. ^PRIVACY D^ STATED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR THE PITTS TO GO AROUND HIM ON HIS LEFT SIDE. THE PITTS SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE ON ITS RIGHT WING TIP, PROPELLER, AND AIR INTAKE. THE PIPER HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON THE LEFT WING FROM THE MIDDLE OF ITS TRAILING EDGE TO THE CENTER OF THE WING. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WAS BUCKLED IN FRONT OF THE ELEVATOR AND PUSHED OUT SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF THE LEFT WING. THIS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.