20050628011539I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA32RT300T · Billings, MT · June 28, 2005

Date: June 28, 2005 · 09:35 local
Place: Billings, MT
Airport: Billings Logan International
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N104JF
Reported as: Piper PA32RT300T
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 336 total66 in this make and model50 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 stated that during slow taxi, he felt a prop strike while moving from apron to taxiway. Both prop tips showed loss of metal. Investigation of the area revealed a noteable depression in the asphalt levels at the transition area from apron to taxiway. Airport personnel had quickly cordoned-off area with barricades soon after incident. Passenger related to pilot that airport personnel on scene shortly after the incident mentioned that this particular area had previously been put on schedule for repair. Nearby avionics facility manager stated they avoid this particular area when taxiing low tip clearance propeller aircraft. Incident pilot was not a local pilot.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT DURING SLOW TAXI, HE FELT A PROP STRIKE WHILE MOVING FROM APRON TO TAXIWAY. BOTH PROP TIPS SHOWED LOSS OF METAL. INVESTIGATION OF THE AREA REVEALED A NOTEABLE DEPRESSION IN THE ASPHALT LEVELS AT THE TRANSITION AREA FROM APRON TO TAXIWAY. AIRPORT PERSONNEL HAD QUICKLY CORDONED-OFF AREA WITH BARRICADES SOON AFTER INCIDENT. PASSENGER RELATED TO PILOT THAT AIRPORT PERSONNEL ON SCENE SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT MENTIONED THAT THIS PARTICULAR AREA HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PUT ON SCHEDULE FOR REPAIR. NEARBY AVIONICS FACILITY MANAGER STATED THEY AVOID THIS PARTICULAR AREA WHEN TAXIING LOW TIP CLEARANCE PROPELLER AIRCRAFT. INCIDENT PILOT WAS NOT A LOCAL PILOT.