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20020902024269A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172I · Tucson, AZ · September 2, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 2, 2002 · 12:02 local
Place
Tucson, AZ
Airport
Tucson International
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N404SW
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX02LA274
Reported as
Cessna 172I
N404SWRegistered now · Cessna 172IS/N 17256702 · Built 1968Airframe modelCessna 172IEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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) The flight instructor stated, they had just landed on runway 11R and were taxiing to the west ramp via taxiway alpha as directed on the ground frequency. Taxiway alpha parallels runway 11L. A united Boeing 737 was holding short for takeoff on runway 11L, at taxiway A4, as N404SW was taxiing behind it. The flight instructor reported that he was discussing jet blast awareness with his student as they were passing the jet. They taxied as FAR to the right side as they could to avoid the blast. He stated that the Boeing 737 was not on the ground frequency, but monitoring the tower while awaiting takeoff clearance. The flight instructor also stated that as N404SW began to move back in toward the middle of the taxiway the left wing rose into the air. The right wing sustained substantial damage when it hit the ground two times as the airplane oscillated and then weathervaned towards the jet. The propeller struck the paved surface, which twisted one blade and damaged the other. The instructor shutdown the engine, master switch, and exited airplane with the student. (.19) on September 02, 2002, at 1202 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172, N404SW, encountered jet blast from a departing commercial transport airplane, while taxing to the ramp after landing at Tucson International Airport (tus), Tucson, Arizona. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and both the certified flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Arizona aero-tech was operating the airplane as an instructional flight under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The local flight originated about 1100. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. According to the flight instructor, they had just landed on runway 11R and were taxiing to the west ramp via taxiway alpha as directed on the ground frequency. Taxiway alpha parallels runway 11L. A united Boeing 737 was holding short for takeoff on runway 11L, at taxiway A4, as N404SW was taxiing behind it. The flight instructor reported that he was discussing jet blast awareness with his student as they were passing the jet. They taxied as FAR to the right side as they could to avoid the blast. He stated that the Boeing 737 was not on the ground frequency, but monitoring the tower while awaiting takeoff clearance. The flight instructor also stated that as N404SW began to move back in toward the middle of the taxiway the left wing rose into the air. The right wing sustained substantial damage when it hit the ground two times as the airplane oscillated and then weathervaned towards the jet. The propeller struck the paved surface, which twisted one blade and damaged the other. The instructor shutdown the engine and master electrical switch, and exited the airplane with the student.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED, THEY HAD JUST LANDED ON RUNWAY 11R AND WERE TAXIING TO THE WEST RAMP VIA TAXIWAY ALPHA AS DIRECTED ON THE GROUND FREQUENCY. TAXIWAY ALPHA PARALLELS RUNWAY 11L. A UNITED BOEING 737 WAS HOLDING SHORT FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 11L, AT TAXIWAY A4, AS N404SW WAS TAXIING BEHIND IT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE WAS DISCUSSING JET BLAST AWARENESS WITH HIS STUDENT AS THEY WERE PASSING THE JET. THEY TAXIED AS FAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE AS THEY COULD TO AVOID THE BLAST. HE STATED THAT THE BOEING 737 WAS NOT ON THE GROUND FREQUENCY, BUT MONITORING THE TOWER WHILE AWAITING TAKEOFF CLEARANCE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ALSO STATED THAT AS N404SW BEGAN TO MOVE BACK IN TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE TAXIWAY THE LEFT WING ROSE INTO THE AIR. THE RIGHT WING SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT HIT THE GROUND TWO TIMES AS THE AIRPLANE OSCILLATED AND THEN WEATHERVANED TOWARDS THE JET. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE PAVED SURFACE, WHICH TWISTED ONE BLADE AND DAMAGED THE OTHER. THE INSTRUCTOR SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE, MASTER SWITCH, AND EXITED AIRPLANE WITH THE STUDENT. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 02, 2002, AT 1202 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172, N404SW, ENCOUNTERED JET BLAST FROM A DEPARTING COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT AIRPLANE, WHILE TAXING TO THE RAMP AFTER LANDING AT TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (TUS), TUCSON, ARIZONA. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND BOTH THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. ARIZONA AERO-TECH WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1100. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THEY HAD JUST LANDED ON RUNWAY 11R AND WERE TAXIING TO THE WEST RAMP VIA TAXIWAY ALPHA AS DIRECTED ON THE GROUND FREQUENCY. TAXIWAY ALPHA PARALLELS RUNWAY 11L. A UNITED BOEING 737 WAS HOLDING SHORT FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 11L, AT TAXIWAY A4, AS N404SW WAS TAXIING BEHIND IT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE WAS DISCUSSING JET BLAST AWARENESS WITH HIS STUDENT AS THEY WERE PASSING THE JET. THEY TAXIED AS FAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE AS THEY COULD TO AVOID THE BLAST. HE STATED THAT THE BOEING 737 WAS NOT ON THE GROUND FREQUENCY, BUT MONITORING THE TOWER WHILE AWAITING TAKEOFF CLEARANCE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ALSO STATED THAT AS N404SW BEGAN TO MOVE BACK IN TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE TAXIWAY THE LEFT WING ROSE INTO THE AIR. THE RIGHT WING SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT HIT THE GROUND TWO TIMES AS THE AIRPLANE OSCILLATED AND THEN WEATHERVANED TOWARDS THE JET. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE PAVED SURFACE, WHICH TWISTED ONE BLADE AND DAMAGED THE OTHER. THE INSTRUCTOR SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE AND MASTER ELECTRICAL SWITCH, AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE STUDENT.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB LAX02LA274Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTucson, AZthe certified flight instructor's failure to maintain an adequate distance from a jet during taxi. A factor was the local/ground controller's failure to issue a safety alert or cautionary advisory to the pilot with regards to the jet blast of the departing…Sep 2, 2002 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N404SW · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20210517009359ILanding: Touchdown · Queen Creek, AZPilot departed 5AZ3 and had the entry door pop open, he focused on his passenger and closing the door securely and failed to do his landing checklist, thus not extending the gear to land resulting in a belly landing with very minor damage to the belly of the…May 17, 2021 · Minor damage