20111010024149I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Gulfstream Aerospace GV-SP (G550) · Carlsbad, CA · October 10, 2011

Date
October 10, 2011 · 14:45 local
Place
Carlsbad, CA
Airport
Mc Clellan-Palomar
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N273A
Reported as
Gulfstream Aerospace GV-SP (G550)
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce BR700-710C411
People aboard
6
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
14,500 total230 in this make and model40 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.

1.) Aircraft N273A was ramped on up-hill grade at a takeoff weight of 65,000 pds. 2.) The aircraft was positioned with exhaust tips pointed to the east with a 12 knot wind to the east, and the exhaust was essentially directed down a slope towards ga aircraft. 3.) The aircraft was place on large steel plates (the main gears only) with the exception of the nose gear which rested on asphalt. 4.) Pilots privacy data omitted surveyed the area prior to entering the plane, and noted its position relative to other ga aircraft. Ramp agent/marshaller privacy data omitted took a position 45 degrees offset to pilots left, so as to observe as much as possible. 5.) privacy data omitted Signaled to pilots clear to start engines. After the pilot checks were completed, ground handler privacy data omitted began marshalling the aircraft and pilots to begin adding power to move forward. privacy data omitted Said initially the plane didn't move against the incline. privacy data omitted Continued to motion the pilot forward and as pilot applied more breakaway thrust, privacy data omitted said he noticed the two Cessna 152'S flip over tail first. 6.) The two 152'S had no tail tiedown chains available to use at all where they parked. privacy data omitted Stated that it did not ever appear that the pilot used excessive thrust to move forward, only that thrust necessary to start the aircraft moving. 7.) The unfortunate consequence of not having the tail tiedown chains available where the two damaged Cessna's parked, was that the velocity of exhaust from the Gulfstream flipped the two planes tail first.

As the FAA filed it

1.) AIRCRAFT N273A WAS RAMPED ON UP-HILL GRADE AT A TAKEOFF WEIGHT OF 65,000 PDS. 2.) THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITIONED WITH EXHAUST TIPS POINTED TO THE EAST WITH A 12 KNOT WIND TO THE EAST, AND THE EXHAUST WAS ESSENTIALLY DIRECTED DOWN A SLOPE TOWARDS GA AIRCRAFT. 3.) THE AIRCRAFT WAS PLACE ON LARGE STEEL PLATES (THE MAIN GEARS ONLY) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE NOSE GEAR WHICH RESTED ON ASPHALT. 4.) PILOTS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SURVEYED THE AREA PRIOR TO ENTERING THE PLANE, AND NOTED ITS POSITION RELATIVE TO OTHER GA AIRCRAFT. RAMP AGENT/MARSHALLER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK A POSITION 45 DEGREES OFFSET TO PILOTS LEFT, SO AS TO OBSERVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 5.) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SIGNALED TO PILOTS CLEAR TO START ENGINES. AFTER THE PILOT CHECKS WERE COMPLETED, GROUND HANDLER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEGAN MARSHALLING THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOTS TO BEGIN ADDING POWER TO MOVE FORWARD. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID INITIALLY THE PLANE DIDN'T MOVE AGAINST THE INCLINE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTINUED TO MOTION THE PILOT FORWARD AND AS PILOT APPLIED MORE BREAKAWAY THRUST, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE NOTICED THE TWO CESSNA 152'S FLIP OVER TAIL FIRST. 6.) THE TWO 152'S HAD NO TAIL TIEDOWN CHAINS AVAILABLE TO USE AT ALL WHERE THEY PARKED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT IT DID NOT EVER APPEAR THAT THE PILOT USED EXCESSIVE THRUST TO MOVE FORWARD, ONLY THAT THRUST NECESSARY TO START THE AIRCRAFT MOVING. 7.) THE UNFORTUNATE CONSEQUENCE OF NOT HAVING THE TAIL TIEDOWN CHAINS AVAILABLE WHERE THE TWO DAMAGED CESSNA'S PARKED, WAS THAT THE VELOCITY OF EXHAUST FROM THE GULFSTREAM FLIPPED THE TWO PLANES TAIL FIRST.