20040513009959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Tucson, AZ · May 13, 2004

Date: May 13, 2004 · 11:00 local
Place: Tucson, AZ
Airport: Ryan Field Airport
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N84245
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX04CA208
Reported as: Piper PA28161
Reported engine: Lycoming O320D3G
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 183 total183 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days

N84245Registration cancelled Mar 31, 2009 · Piper PA-28-161S/N 28-8116295 · Built 1981 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161 Engine 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) Pilot was taxiing to parking area. The taxiway was adjacent to a large administration building. A back-hoe equipped tractor was operating behind the building and not in view of the pilot. The aircraft was passing the end of the building when the back-hoe operator drove the back-hoe onto the taxiway and collided with the aircraft. The back-hoe operator was not authorized to drive onto any taxiway and there was no apparent reason for the back-hoe to be on the taxiway.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS TAXIING TO PARKING AREA. THE TAXIWAY WAS ADJACENT TO A LARGE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING. A BACK-HOE EQUIPPED TRACTOR WAS OPERATING BEHIND THE BUILDING AND NOT IN VIEW OF THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PASSING THE END OF THE BUILDING WHEN THE BACK-HOE OPERATOR DROVE THE BACK-HOE ONTO THE TAXIWAY AND COLLIDED WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE BACK-HOE OPERATOR WAS NOT AUTHORIZED TO DRIVE ONTO ANY TAXIWAY AND THERE WAS NO APPARENT REASON FOR THE BACK-HOE TO BE ON THE TAXIWAY.

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 LAX04CA208Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportTucson, AZthe backhoe driver's failure to maintain visual lookout while maneuvering near a taxiway, which resulted in its collision with a taxiing airplane.May 13, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N84245 · 2

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

Incident 20070913022109IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Tucson, AZ(-23) The student pilot [privacy data omitted] was taxiing aircraft (N84245) on ramp at Ryan airport when right wing struck fuel truck. Aircraft pulled to the right after hitting truck, and aircraft propeller struck tool box that was attached to fuel truck,…Sep 13, 2007 · Minor damage Incident 20040728016399IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Tucson, AZ(-23) Student pilot was conducting his first supervised solo flight. On the last of the solo landings, Ryan tower requested the pilot to turn right onto taxiway 5. The student complied with the request; the aircraft speed was excessive and the aircraft…Jul 28, 2004 · Minor damage