What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) After landing and while taxiing to parking at Lakeland linder regional airport, Lakeland, Florida, on 04-01-2003, the left wing tip of Mooney, N2652W, struck a ground marshaller, who was directing the aircraft to the parking location. A witness stated that he observed the ground marshaller make signal contact with the pilot of Mooney, N2652W, via red signal wands, as the aircraft taxied westbound at a normal rate of speed on taxiway "d". The witness further stated that he observed the ground marshaller direct N2652W to continue taxiing westbound on taxiway "d", and then observed the ground marshaller turn his back to the aircraft as he continued to signal the pilot of N2652W to continue taxiing westbound on taxiway "d". The left wing tip of N2652W struck the ground marshaller in the back, knocking him to the pavement. The ground marshaller sustained serious injury as a result of the impact, and the aircraft sustained minor damage. Measurements taken at the accident site, as determined by the ground marshaller's shoe scuff marks on the taxiway pavement, indicate that the ground marshaller was standing approximately 16 feet, 1 inch from the centerline of taxiway "d". Measurements taken of Mooney, N2652W, indicate that the distance from the centerline of the aircraft to the area of the left wing tip leading edge that was damaged due to impact with the ground marshaller is 17 feet. Such measurements reveal that the aircraft would have been taxiing 11 inches to the right of the taxiway "d" centerline when impact with the ground marshaller occurred, and that the ground marshaller was standing 16 feet, 1 inch to the left of the taxiway centerline and inside the path of the aircraft's left wing tip. It is undetermined why the ground marshaller continued to direct the pilot of N2652W to continue taxiing, even though such ground marshaller had turned his back to the aircraft, and was standing in the path of the aircraft's left wing.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AFTER LANDING AND WHILE TAXIING TO PARKING AT LAKELAND LINDER REGIONAL AIRPORT, LAKELAND, FLORIDA, ON 04-01-2003, THE LEFT WING TIP OF MOONEY, N2652W, STRUCK A GROUND MARSHALLER, WHO WAS DIRECTING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE PARKING LOCATION. A WITNESS STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE GROUND MARSHALLER MAKE SIGNAL CONTACT WITH THE PILOT OF MOONEY, N2652W, VIA RED SIGNAL WANDS, AS THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED WESTBOUND AT A NORMAL RATE OF SPEED ON TAXIWAY "D". THE WITNESS FURTHER STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE GROUND MARSHALLER DIRECT N2652W TO CONTINUE TAXIING WESTBOUND ON TAXIWAY "D", AND THEN OBSERVED THE GROUND MARSHALLER TURN HIS BACK TO THE AIRCRAFT AS HE CONTINUED TO SIGNAL THE PILOT OF N2652W TO CONTINUE TAXIING WESTBOUND ON TAXIWAY "D". THE LEFT WING TIP OF N2652W STRUCK THE GROUND MARSHALLER IN THE BACK, KNOCKING HIM TO THE PAVEMENT. THE GROUND MARSHALLER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURY AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT, AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. MEASUREMENTS TAKEN AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, AS DETERMINED BY THE GROUND MARSHALLER'S SHOE SCUFF MARKS ON THE TAXIWAY PAVEMENT, INDICATE THAT THE GROUND MARSHALLER WAS STANDING APPROXIMATELY 16 FEET, 1 INCH FROM THE CENTERLINE OF TAXIWAY "D". MEASUREMENTS TAKEN OF MOONEY, N2652W, INDICATE THAT THE DISTANCE FROM THE CENTERLINE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO THE AREA OF THE LEFT WING TIP LEADING EDGE THAT WAS DAMAGED DUE TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND MARSHALLER IS 17 FEET. SUCH MEASUREMENTS REVEAL THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD HAVE BEEN TAXIING 11 INCHES TO THE RIGHT OF THE TAXIWAY "D" CENTERLINE WHEN IMPACT WITH THE GROUND MARSHALLER OCCURRED, AND THAT THE GROUND MARSHALLER WAS STANDING 16 FEET, 1 INCH TO THE LEFT OF THE TAXIWAY CENTERLINE AND INSIDE THE PATH OF THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING TIP. IT IS UNDETERMINED WHY THE GROUND MARSHALLER CONTINUED TO DIRECT THE PILOT OF N2652W TO CONTINUE TAXIING, EVEN THOUGH SUCH GROUND MARSHALLER HAD TURNED HIS BACK TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND WAS STANDING IN THE PATH OF THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.