What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 14, 2014 at approximately 2100 Alaska local time, the pilot of CE-208B, N1275N taxied forward from parking on the hageland ramp at the Aniak, AK airport and struck a forklift. The aircraft received substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The impact also caused buckling of the empennage skin on the right hand side of the aircraft. Initial report received from the company's director of operations indicate that the aircraft was unloaded with cargo. The forklift used to unload the cargo was parked near the aircraft and to the left. The director of operations said the pilot thought that the forklift was clear of the aircraft before he taxiied forward and made a right turn. There were no passengers on board and the aircraft was being repositioned.
The iic scheduled a meeting with the PIC for 6/19/2014 at the anchorage FSDO to discuss the event from his perspective. The pilot offered the following narrative: "on the 14th of may 2014, I was asked to reposition N1275N a company carravan to bethel, AK. It (aircraft) was scheduled to be on the flight line the following day. On the way to bethel, I stopped in Aniak with a load of cargo. We unloaded the cargo and I closed all the doors and removed the tailstand. At approximately 8:50 pm local time, I proceeded to start the engine and taxi away from the area where we unload cargo. In spite of doing what I thought was a careful walk around, I misjudged the distance from the horizontal stabilizer and the forklift that was parked in the area near the cargo door. As I got rolling, the aircraft came to a stop, and I realized at that point I did not have the clearance I originally thought I had. The forklift had come into contact with the outer leading edge and caused some damage. I immediately shut the engine down. I observed the damaged area and determined it was unsafe to continue the flight. At this point I secured the aircraft for the night."
The cargo aboard the aircraft was comat. The aircraft and flight originated in palmer, AK. The aircraft had just come out of maintenance and was being repositioned to bethel, AK.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 14, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 ALASKA LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT OF CE-208B, N1275N TAXIED FORWARD FROM PARKING ON THE HAGELAND RAMP AT THE ANIAK, AK AIRPORT AND STRUCK A FORKLIFT. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE IMPACT ALSO CAUSED BUCKLING OF THE EMPENNAGE SKIN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. INITIAL REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE COMPANY'S DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNLOADED WITH CARGO. THE FORKLIFT USED TO UNLOAD THE CARGO WAS PARKED NEAR THE AIRCRAFT AND TO THE LEFT. THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS SAID THE PILOT THOUGHT THAT THE FORKLIFT WAS CLEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE HE TAXIIED FORWARD AND MADE A RIGHT TURN. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ON BOARD AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING REPOSITIONED.
THE IIC SCHEDULED A MEETING WITH THE PIC FOR 6/19/2014 AT THE ANCHORAGE FSDO TO DISCUSS THE EVENT FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE. THE PILOT OFFERED THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE: "ON THE 14TH OF MAY 2014, I WAS ASKED TO REPOSITION N1275N A COMPANY CARRAVAN TO BETHEL, AK. IT (AIRCRAFT) WAS SCHEDULED TO BE ON THE FLIGHT LINE THE FOLLOWING DAY. ON THE WAY TO BETHEL, I STOPPED IN ANIAK WITH A LOAD OF CARGO. WE UNLOADED THE CARGO AND I CLOSED ALL THE DOORS AND REMOVED THE TAILSTAND. AT APPROXIMATELY 8:50 PM LOCAL TIME, I PROCEEDED TO START THE ENGINE AND TAXI AWAY FROM THE AREA WHERE WE UNLOAD CARGO. IN SPITE OF DOING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A CAREFUL WALK AROUND, I MISJUDGED THE DISTANCE FROM THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND THE FORKLIFT THAT WAS PARKED IN THE AREA NEAR THE CARGO DOOR. AS I GOT ROLLING, THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, AND I REALIZED AT THAT POINT I DID NOT HAVE THE CLEARANCE I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT I HAD. THE FORKLIFT HAD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE OUTER LEADING EDGE AND CAUSED SOME DAMAGE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN. I OBSERVED THE DAMAGED AREA AND DETERMINED IT WAS UNSAFE TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT. AT THIS POINT I SECURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE NIGHT."
THE CARGO ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMAT. THE AIRCRAFT AND FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN PALMER, AK. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF MAINTENANCE AND WAS BEING REPOSITIONED TO BETHEL, AK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.