What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 16, 2018 at 11:00 a.m., the pilot of N134Q was taxing his 1940 Waco UPF-7 through the parking ramp at (kssi) mckinnon airport on st. Simons island, Georgia when he struck N294PJ, a 2010 Robinson R44 helicopter that was in tow by two ground personnel with no intent for flight. N134Q was being operated under title 14 CFR part 91 as a commercial air tour operator with a letter of authorization issued to classic air ventures (C2VJS035) by the tamp FSDO. The aircraft (N134Q) sustained minor damage with no injuries as the helicopter (N294PJ) sustained substantial damage with no injuries.
On June 16, 2018 at approximately 4:30 p.m., an inspector from the atlanta FSDO arrived on scene to conduct an investigation as to the cause of the ground incident. On arrival, the aircraft had been secured by the local law enforcement and airport authorities. An examination of both aircraft revealed that N134Q sustained only minor damage to the propeller as it completely cut through the flight deck of N294PJ causing substantial damage. A representative of the NTSB was contacted concerning the situation, and informed the on duty FAA inspector that they would not be participating in the investigation because the aircraft that sustained substantial damage was stationary at the time of the damage and no intent for flight existed.
The pilot of N134Q was interviewed and stated that he was preparing his aircraft that morning to go on a 35-minute sightseeing tour. He stated that normally he would taxi directly out of his hangar across the tie down areas to runway 34 in order to avoid the civilian and military helicopters that parked at the southeast end of the ramp. However, on this particular morning, there was a high volume of aircraft parked in the tie down areas, which forced him to take an alternate path down the ramp to runway 34. As he began to taxi, he stated that he performed his usual ?s? Turns because his forward visibility is limited in a tailwheel aircraft especially since he was sitting in the rear cockpit. At the same time, another air tour operator was also getting ready for their daily operations as two men were pushing a R44 helicopter in the same direction that he was taxing. The pilot stated that he never saw the helicopter or two men as he collided into their helicopter. He further stated that there were no mechanical problems with his aircraft that contributed. Statements from the two men pushing the R44 helicopter agreed with the story of the pilot of N134Q as they further stated that as he approached them with running engines they yelled and screamed but to no prevail due to loud exposed radial engine of a 1940 Waco UPF-7 aircraft.
A review of all maintenance and pilot records was conducted, and it showed no previous issues or concerns that could have contributed to the mishap.
Aircraft inspection status:
1. Aircraft: 1940 Waco, model UPF-7, s/n 5484
2. Engine: Continental W670-6A, s/n 17283
3. Current registration: doi 12/19/2016
4. Standard airworthiness certificate: doi 07/03/1957
5. Annual inspection was completed and returned to service on 4/25/2018 at 10351 tt.
Pilot in command:
1. privacy data omitted
2. Airline transport pilot
3. Current second class medical: 09/26/2017
4. No previous eis records reported
Environmental conditions:
1. Actual weather: VMC
2. Runway conditions: dry
3. Precipitation: none
4. Winds @10 knot
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 16, 2018 AT 11:00 A.M., THE PILOT OF N134Q WAS TAXING HIS 1940 WACO UPF-7 THROUGH THE PARKING RAMP AT (KSSI) MCKINNON AIRPORT ON ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA WHEN HE STRUCK N294PJ, A 2010 ROBINSON R44 HELICOPTER THAT WAS IN TOW BY TWO GROUND PERSONNEL WITH NO INTENT FOR FLIGHT. N134Q WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AS A COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR OPERATOR WITH A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION ISSUED TO CLASSIC AIR VENTURES (C2VJS035) BY THE TAMP FSDO. THE AIRCRAFT (N134Q) SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WITH NO INJURIES AS THE HELICOPTER (N294PJ) SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH NO INJURIES.
ON JUNE 16, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 P.M., AN INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO ARRIVED ON SCENE TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE GROUND INCIDENT. ON ARRIVAL, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN SECURED BY THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND AIRPORT AUTHORITIES. AN EXAMINATION OF BOTH AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT N134Q SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AS IT COMPLETELY CUT THROUGH THE FLIGHT DECK OF N294PJ CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NTSB WAS CONTACTED CONCERNING THE SITUATION, AND INFORMED THE ON DUTY FAA INSPECTOR THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THE INVESTIGATION BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT THAT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME OF THE DAMAGE AND NO INTENT FOR FLIGHT EXISTED.
THE PILOT OF N134Q WAS INTERVIEWED AND STATED THAT HE WAS PREPARING HIS AIRCRAFT THAT MORNING TO GO ON A 35-MINUTE SIGHTSEEING TOUR. HE STATED THAT NORMALLY HE WOULD TAXI DIRECTLY OUT OF HIS HANGAR ACROSS THE TIE DOWN AREAS TO RUNWAY 34 IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CIVILIAN AND MILITARY HELICOPTERS THAT PARKED AT THE SOUTHEAST END OF THE RAMP. HOWEVER, ON THIS PARTICULAR MORNING, THERE WAS A HIGH VOLUME OF AIRCRAFT PARKED IN THE TIE DOWN AREAS, WHICH FORCED HIM TO TAKE AN ALTERNATE PATH DOWN THE RAMP TO RUNWAY 34. AS HE BEGAN TO TAXI, HE STATED THAT HE PERFORMED HIS USUAL ?S? TURNS BECAUSE HIS FORWARD VISIBILITY IS LIMITED IN A TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT ESPECIALLY SINCE HE WAS SITTING IN THE REAR COCKPIT. AT THE SAME TIME, ANOTHER AIR TOUR OPERATOR WAS ALSO GETTING READY FOR THEIR DAILY OPERATIONS AS TWO MEN WERE PUSHING A R44 HELICOPTER IN THE SAME DIRECTION THAT HE WAS TAXING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NEVER SAW THE HELICOPTER OR TWO MEN AS HE COLLIDED INTO THEIR HELICOPTER. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH HIS AIRCRAFT THAT CONTRIBUTED. STATEMENTS FROM THE TWO MEN PUSHING THE R44 HELICOPTER AGREED WITH THE STORY OF THE PILOT OF N134Q AS THEY FURTHER STATED THAT AS HE APPROACHED THEM WITH RUNNING ENGINES THEY YELLED AND SCREAMED BUT TO NO PREVAIL DUE TO LOUD EXPOSED RADIAL ENGINE OF A 1940 WACO UPF-7 AIRCRAFT.
A REVIEW OF ALL MAINTENANCE AND PILOT RECORDS WAS CONDUCTED, AND IT SHOWED NO PREVIOUS ISSUES OR CONCERNS THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE MISHAP.
AIRCRAFT INSPECTION STATUS:
1. AIRCRAFT: 1940 WACO, MODEL UPF-7, S/N 5484
2. ENGINE: CONTINENTAL W670-6A, S/N 17283
3. CURRENT REGISTRATION: DOI 12/19/2016
4. STANDARD AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE: DOI 07/03/1957
5. ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE ON 4/25/2018 AT 10351 TT.
PILOT IN COMMAND:
1. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
2. AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT
3. CURRENT SECOND CLASS MEDICAL: 09/26/2017
4. NO PREVIOUS EIS RECORDS REPORTED
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
1. ACTUAL WEATHER: VMC
2. RUNWAY CONDITIONS: DRY
3. PRECIPITATION: NONE
4. WINDS @10 KNOT
Other reports on N134Q · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.