20070913022849I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bbavia 7ECA · Saratoga Sprin, NY · September 13, 2007

Date
September 13, 2007 · 17:45 local
Place
Saratoga Sprin, NY
Airport
Saratoga County
Phase of flight
Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N1672G
Reported as
Bbavia 7ECA
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
350 total100 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) While taxiing out to runway 14 during light wind conditions, a bee flew out from underneath the pilot's seat. The bee landed on the pilot's face, the pilot swiped it away, at the same time applying the brakes. The bee ended up on the pilot's lap. As he glanced down at the bee, the pilot noticed the airplane's tail raising. Still wanting to stop, the pilot pulled the mixture control to limit damage to the engine. The airplane's tail continued raising, and the airplane ended up coming to rest on its nose. By this time the bee had disappeared, and the pilot climbed out and lowered the airplane's tail to the ground. Damage occurred to the propeller, propeller spinner, tips of the wheel pants, and possibly the lower cowl. The pilot was counseled on taxiing procedures and division of attention.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE TAXIING OUT TO RUNWAY 14 DURING LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS, A BEE FLEW OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE PILOT'S SEAT. THE BEE LANDED ON THE PILOT'S FACE, THE PILOT SWIPED IT AWAY, AT THE SAME TIME APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE BEE ENDED UP ON THE PILOT'S LAP. AS HE GLANCED DOWN AT THE BEE, THE PILOT NOTICED THE AIRPLANE'S TAIL RAISING. STILL WANTING TO STOP, THE PILOT PULLED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TO LIMIT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE'S TAIL CONTINUED RAISING, AND THE AIRPLANE ENDED UP COMING TO REST ON ITS NOSE. BY THIS TIME THE BEE HAD DISAPPEARED, AND THE PILOT CLIMBED OUT AND LOWERED THE AIRPLANE'S TAIL TO THE GROUND. DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE PROPELLER, PROPELLER SPINNER, TIPS OF THE WHEEL PANTS, AND POSSIBLY THE LOWER COWL. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED ON TAXIING PROCEDURES AND DIVISION OF ATTENTION.