20030201001619I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-160 · Chandler, AZ · February 1, 2003

Date
February 1, 2003 · 10:30 local
Place
Chandler, AZ
Airport
Stellar Airpark Airport
Phase of flight
Starting Engines
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3457P
Reported as
Piper PA23160
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,600 total30 in this make and model30 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) Aircraft had been grounded because the brakes were inoperative. Cfk and student pilot failed to check the discrepancy log or sign out board prior to taking aircraft. They started the #1 engine and were in the process of starting the #2 engine when the aircraft began to roll. They applied the brakes, but they failed to work, so they tried to turn the aircraft with full power on the #1 engine. The aircraft couldn't turn sharply enough and impacted N9059D on the cowling as it sat in its tiedown spot. N9059D'S cowl was damaged and its tie down rings were bent at a 90 degree angle. Some ripples were noted in the left wing near the tie down ring. N3457P obtained damage to the left wing leading edge from the wing tip inward about two feet. There were no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN GROUNDED BECAUSE THE BRAKES WERE INOPERATIVE. CFK AND STUDENT PILOT FAILED TO CHECK THE DISCREPANCY LOG OR SIGN OUT BOARD PRIOR TO TAKING AIRCRAFT. THEY STARTED THE #1 ENGINE AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE #2 ENGINE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROLL. THEY APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THEY FAILED TO WORK, SO THEY TRIED TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT WITH FULL POWER ON THE #1 ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT COULDN'T TURN SHARPLY ENOUGH AND IMPACTED N9059D ON THE COWLING AS IT SAT IN ITS TIEDOWN SPOT. N9059D'S COWL WAS DAMAGED AND ITS TIE DOWN RINGS WERE BENT AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. SOME RIPPLES WERE NOTED IN THE LEFT WING NEAR THE TIE DOWN RING. N3457P OBTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE FROM THE WING TIP INWARD ABOUT TWO FEET. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.