20050212001839I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA28R201 · Raleigh-Durham, NC · February 12, 2005

Date: February 12, 2005 · 19:27 local
Place: Raleigh-Durham, NC
Airport: Raleigh-Durham International
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N170FC
Reported as: Piper PA28R201
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360LYC*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 251 total57 in this make and model5 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) Pilot of N170FC taxied to runway 23L from piedmont aviation ramp via taxiway J1. Turned onto taxiway A8 before hold short line, moved the aircraft off the taxiway centerline to the side of the taxiway and performed engine run-up. Tower cleared to take off if expedited because of traffic on final. Pilot taxied straight forward and started turning right in an attempt to see and line up with the centerline of runway 23L. Passenger saw lights ahead. The pilot attempted to stop the aircraft before the propeller contacted the row of lights. The propeller contacted a light in the row before stopping. The pilot exited the runway, taxied back to taxiway A8 and then returned to the piedmont aviation ramp.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT OF N170FC TAXIED TO RUNWAY 23L FROM PIEDMONT AVIATION RAMP VIA TAXIWAY J1. TURNED ONTO TAXIWAY A8 BEFORE HOLD SHORT LINE, MOVED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE TAXIWAY CENTERLINE TO THE SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY AND PERFORMED ENGINE RUN-UP. TOWER CLEARED TO TAKE OFF IF EXPEDITED BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC ON FINAL. PILOT TAXIED STRAIGHT FORWARD AND STARTED TURNING RIGHT IN AN ATTEMPT TO SEE AND LINE UP WITH THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 23L. PASSENGER SAW LIGHTS AHEAD. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE ROW OF LIGHTS. THE PROPELLER CONTACTED A LIGHT IN THE ROW BEFORE STOPPING. THE PILOT EXITED THE RUNWAY, TAXIED BACK TO TAXIWAY A8 AND THEN RETURNED TO THE PIEDMONT AVIATION RAMP.