20090928049779I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 421C · Belmar, NJ · September 28, 2009

Date
September 28, 2009 · 13:00 local
Place
Belmar, NJ
Airport
Monmouth Executive
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N421DB
Reported as
Cessna 421C
Reported engine
Continental GTSI0-520
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
3,300 total200 in this make and model10 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.

The pilot in command of this Cessna 421 aircraft was receiving a CFR 135.297 flight check from an FAA inspector who was seated in the right seat of the aircraft (co-pilot's) position. They had landed on runway 14 at the Monmouth Executive Airport and was taxiing back to the runway for another take-off. While on the parallel taxiway, the observed a tractor mowing the grass between the taxiway and the runway. This is a non-tower airport and ther is no control over vehicles on the ramp or other areas of the airport's surface. The pilots were focused on the tractor in order to avoid a collision. While attempting to stay as FAR to the left side of this narrow taxiway as possible, the aircraft veered off the taxiway. While attempting to taxi back onto the taxiway, the left propeller sucked up loose gravel causing minor damage to the two blades on the left propeller.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF THIS CESSNA 421 AIRCRAFT WAS RECEIVING A CFR 135.297 FLIGHT CHECK FROM AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SEATED IN THE RIGHT SEAT OF THE AIRCRAFT (CO-PILOT'S) POSITION. THEY HAD LANDED ON RUNWAY 14 AT THE MONMOUTH EXECUTIVE AIRPORT AND WAS TAXIING BACK TO THE RUNWAY FOR ANOTHER TAKE-OFF. WHILE ON THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY, THE OBSERVED A TRACTOR MOWING THE GRASS BETWEEN THE TAXIWAY AND THE RUNWAY. THIS IS A NON-TOWER AIRPORT AND THER IS NO CONTROL OVER VEHICLES ON THE RAMP OR OTHER AREAS OF THE AIRPORT'S SURFACE. THE PILOTS WERE FOCUSED ON THE TRACTOR IN ORDER TO AVOID A COLLISION. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STAY AS FAR TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THIS NARROW TAXIWAY AS POSSIBLE, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE TAXIWAY. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TAXI BACK ONTO THE TAXIWAY, THE LEFT PROPELLER SUCKED UP LOOSE GRAVEL CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE TWO BLADES ON THE LEFT PROPELLER.