20160814013249I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cirrus Design SR22 · Cross City, FL · August 14, 2016

Date
August 14, 2016 · 17:30 local
Place
Cross City, FL
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N241CM
Reported as
Cirrus Design SR22
Reported engine
Continental IO-550 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,945 total30 in this make and model490 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.

Pilot was conducting a flight in a company owned aircraft from pns to gnv. Weather conditions deteriorated over north Florida with extreme thunderstorms covering from cdk to jax. Passenger requested that aircraft be landed at a safe airport that was also convenient for the overall mission. Pilot diverted IFR flight plan to cdk. 20 miles out from cdk, ATC reported conditions had deteriorated at cdk so pilot then diverted to X60. While en route, the conditions deteriorated at X60. ATC advised pilot there was a 2 minute window had opened for him to make it into cty and that the AWOS was inoperative. Pilot was advised of moderate thunderstorm turbulence and possible wind shear up to 25 knots near the surface. Pilot again diverted and successfully landed at cty and as he was exiting the runway, he encountered moderate to heavy precipitation and heavy winds. Pilot taxied to the ramp, which he described as flooded at the time, in severe thunderstorm conditions including heavy lightning. Pilot and passenger discussed the parking situation and pilot determined that taxiing the aircraft near the covered entrance to the FBO for the passenger?s convenience was less of a priority than getting the aircraft tied down and then both occupants exiting the aircraft and into shelter as quickly as possible. Pilot stated he was taxiing the aircraft on the ramp at around 10 knots and was attempting to make a left turn to the tie downs when the incident occurred. Pilot stated that as he was adding power for the turn, it seemed like strong wind came from his left at the same time causing the aircraft to hydroplane and for him to lose control of it. As a result, the aircraft made contact with a fence, which pulled the aircraft around and causing the prop to also strike the fence. Pilot immediately cut engine when aircraft struck fence which lessened damage to prop and fence when they made contact. Pilot shut down aircraft and pilot and passenger exited aircraft and got into shelter as thunderstorm conditions continued to worsen. No one else was at airport so pilot pulled the aircraft to the tie downs once storm subsided two hours later. A Cirrus certified mechanic inspected the aircraft and provided a written statement to the NTSB that there is no substantial damage. Left wingtip will be replaced, as well as propeller and engine due to contact with the fence and the prop strike. NTSB determined this to be an incident.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A FLIGHT IN A COMPANY OWNED AIRCRAFT FROM PNS TO GNV. WEATHER CONDITIONS DETERIORATED OVER NORTH FLORIDA WITH EXTREME THUNDERSTORMS COVERING FROM CDK TO JAX. PASSENGER REQUESTED THAT AIRCRAFT BE LANDED AT A SAFE AIRPORT THAT WAS ALSO CONVENIENT FOR THE OVERALL MISSION. PILOT DIVERTED IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO CDK. 20 MILES OUT FROM CDK, ATC REPORTED CONDITIONS HAD DETERIORATED AT CDK SO PILOT THEN DIVERTED TO X60. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE CONDITIONS DETERIORATED AT X60. ATC ADVISED PILOT THERE WAS A 2 MINUTE WINDOW HAD OPENED FOR HIM TO MAKE IT INTO CTY AND THAT THE AWOS WAS INOPERATIVE. PILOT WAS ADVISED OF MODERATE THUNDERSTORM TURBULENCE AND POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR UP TO 25 KNOTS NEAR THE SURFACE. PILOT AGAIN DIVERTED AND SUCCESSFULLY LANDED AT CTY AND AS HE WAS EXITING THE RUNWAY, HE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION AND HEAVY WINDS. PILOT TAXIED TO THE RAMP, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS FLOODED AT THE TIME, IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CONDITIONS INCLUDING HEAVY LIGHTNING. PILOT AND PASSENGER DISCUSSED THE PARKING SITUATION AND PILOT DETERMINED THAT TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT NEAR THE COVERED ENTRANCE TO THE FBO FOR THE PASSENGER?S CONVENIENCE WAS LESS OF A PRIORITY THAN GETTING THE AIRCRAFT TIED DOWN AND THEN BOTH OCCUPANTS EXITING THE AIRCRAFT AND INTO SHELTER AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. PILOT STATED HE WAS TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RAMP AT AROUND 10 KNOTS AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN TO THE TIE DOWNS WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. PILOT STATED THAT AS HE WAS ADDING POWER FOR THE TURN, IT SEEMED LIKE STRONG WIND CAME FROM HIS LEFT AT THE SAME TIME CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO HYDROPLANE AND FOR HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF IT. AS A RESULT, THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH A FENCE, WHICH PULLED THE AIRCRAFT AROUND AND CAUSING THE PROP TO ALSO STRIKE THE FENCE. PILOT IMMEDIATELY CUT ENGINE WHEN AIRCRAFT STRUCK FENCE WHICH LESSENED DAMAGE TO PROP AND FENCE WHEN THEY MADE CONTACT. PILOT SHUT DOWN AIRCRAFT AND PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED AIRCRAFT AND GOT INTO SHELTER AS THUNDERSTORM CONDITIONS CONTINUED TO WORSEN. NO ONE ELSE WAS AT AIRPORT SO PILOT PULLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE TIE DOWNS ONCE STORM SUBSIDED TWO HOURS LATER. A CIRRUS CERTIFIED MECHANIC INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE NTSB THAT THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. LEFT WINGTIP WILL BE REPLACED, AS WELL AS PROPELLER AND ENGINE DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE FENCE AND THE PROP STRIKE. NTSB DETERMINED THIS TO BE AN INCIDENT.