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20080928852679I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-34-200T · West Mifflin, PA · September 28, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 28, 2008 · 06:45 local
Place
West Mifflin, PA
Airport
Allegheny County
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3979J
Reported as
Piper PA34200T
Reported engine
Continental IO360*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
8,000 total2,500 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N3979JRegistered now · Piper PA-34-200TS/N 34-7870346 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 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.

On September 28, 2008, at approximately 0650 eastern time, a Piper PA-34-200T, N3979J, conducted under 14 CFR part 91, operated by a Mr. Francis j. philips, departed taxiway alpha at the Allegheny County Airport (kpit) while taxing to runway 28 in dense fog. The aircraft struck taxiway alpha sign number 81. After striking the sign, the aircraft was taxied back to the ramp without incident. There were no injuries to the pilot or passenger. An inspection of the aircraft revealed the right nose gear door was damaged. The underside of the fuselage near the right nose gear door had minor damage. The right propeller had damage to the tips. The right engine cowling had a puncture hole. The leading edge of the right wing between the engine and fuselage had minor damage. The underside of the right wing had minor damage. The trailing edge of the inboard section of the right flap had a small upward crease. The underside of the inboard section of the right flap had minor damage. The leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer had minor damage. An examination of the area around taxiway alpha sign number 81 showed three marks consistent with three landing gear tires in the grass. The tire tracks were parallel with taxiway alpha and the center track (nose wheel) lead to the center of the concrete foundation of the sign. An examination of the photographs taken by the Allegheny County Airport authority revealed damage to the sign consistent with a propeller strike.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 0650 EASTERN TIME, A PIPER PA-34-200T, N3979J, CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, OPERATED BY A MR. FRANCIS J. PHILIPS, DEPARTED TAXIWAY ALPHA AT THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT (KPIT) WHILE TAXING TO RUNWAY 28 IN DENSE FOG. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TAXIWAY ALPHA SIGN NUMBER 81. AFTER STRIKING THE SIGN, THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE RIGHT NOSE GEAR DOOR WAS DAMAGED. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE NEAR THE RIGHT NOSE GEAR DOOR HAD MINOR DAMAGE. THE RIGHT PROPELLER HAD DAMAGE TO THE TIPS. THE RIGHT ENGINE COWLING HAD A PUNCTURE HOLE. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND FUSELAGE HAD MINOR DAMAGE. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT WING HAD MINOR DAMAGE. THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE INBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT FLAP HAD A SMALL UPWARD CREASE. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE INBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT FLAP HAD MINOR DAMAGE. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD MINOR DAMAGE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AREA AROUND TAXIWAY ALPHA SIGN NUMBER 81 SHOWED THREE MARKS CONSISTENT WITH THREE LANDING GEAR TIRES IN THE GRASS. THE TIRE TRACKS WERE PARALLEL WITH TAXIWAY ALPHA AND THE CENTER TRACK (NOSE WHEEL) LEAD TO THE CENTER OF THE CONCRETE FOUNDATION OF THE SIGN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE SIGN CONSISTENT WITH A PROPELLER STRIKE.