20030620019449I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Amtr VANSRV8 · Indianapolis, IN · June 20, 2003

Date: June 20, 2003 · 15:25 local
Place: Indianapolis, IN
Airport: Mount Comfort Airport
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N500YP
Reported as: Amtr VANSRV8
Reported engine: Lycoming O360A1A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 850 total300 in this make and model15 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) N500YP, operated by Mr. Todd reifers, was taxiing behind N8XY, operated by Mr. John marshall, from the hanger area to the fixed base operators ramp for the purpose of obtaining fuel for the aircraft. Mr. Reifers had recently adjusted his brake pedal pressure. While following N8XY Mr. Reifers glanced down to check the position of the brake pedals. He did not realize that N8XY had come to a stop before he heard his propeller come in contact with the vertical stabilizer of N8XY. He immediately applied the brakes and shut down the engine but the momentum and corkscrew effect of the propeller completely destroyed the vertical stabilizer.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N500YP, OPERATED BY MR. TODD REIFERS, WAS TAXIING BEHIND N8XY, OPERATED BY MR. JOHN MARSHALL, FROM THE HANGER AREA TO THE FIXED BASE OPERATORS RAMP FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING FUEL FOR THE AIRCRAFT. MR. REIFERS HAD RECENTLY ADJUSTED HIS BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE. WHILE FOLLOWING N8XY MR. REIFERS GLANCED DOWN TO CHECK THE POSITION OF THE BRAKE PEDALS. HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT N8XY HAD COME TO A STOP BEFORE HE HEARD HIS PROPELLER COME IN CONTACT WITH THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF N8XY. HE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE BUT THE MOMENTUM AND CORKSCREW EFFECT OF THE PROPELLER COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE VERTICAL STABILIZER.