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20190119017572A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Aviat PITTS S-1T · Torrance, CA · January 19, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 19, 2019 · 09:50 local
Place
Torrance, CA
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Collision on the ground
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N31WK
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR19TA068
Reported as
Aviat Pitts S-1T
Reported engine
Lycoming AEIO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,500 total310 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N31WKRegistered now · Aviat PITTS S-1TS/N 1060 · Built 1995Airframe modelAviat PITTS S-1TEngine modelLycoming AEIO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

N31WK landed on runway 29L and cleared the runway. After coordinating with ground control, tower issued taxi instructions to N21WK to taxi via alpha the east t hangers. Ground control was recording the new ATIS. N27GM was calling for taxi from the east t hangers at about the same time. Ground control did not hear the initial request and asked the aircraft from the east t hangers to, ?say again.? N27GM repeated his request and ground control asked him to verify his position. N27GM attempted to respond but his transmission was unreadable. Ground control made several more attempts to contact long easy N27GM with no luck.

The pilot in pitts (conventional wheel aircraft) N21WK, after clearing runway 29L, began taxiing to the east t hangers. At the start of his taxi, the pilot did a few s-turns as he taxied to ensure there was no one in front of him. It is standard practice for conventional wheel aircraft to constantly make s-turns while taxing because it is not possible to see directly in front of the airplane. The pilot stated that he only made the s-turns at the start of his taxi but did not continue.

The pilot, in long easy N27GM, was taxiing from the t-hangers for takeoff. While he was taxiing in the non-movement area he made a call to ground control for clearance to taxi. He was having trouble contacting ground control, so he remained in the non-movement area at the intersection of alpha and juliet. He saw the pitts coming down alpha, but assumed the pitts was going to turn onto juliet for takeoff on 29R. He never heard the taxi instructions issued to N21WK. If his radios had been working fine at the time, he still would not have heard the taxi instructions issued to N21WK, because those instructions were issued on tower frequency.

Pitts, N21WK, crashed into long easy, N27GM, head on. The pilot, in the long easy, stated that by the time he realized that the pitts was not turning, it was too late to take any evasive action.

As the FAA filed it

N31WK LANDED ON RUNWAY 29L AND CLEARED THE RUNWAY. AFTER COORDINATING WITH GROUND CONTROL, TOWER ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO N21WK TO TAXI VIA ALPHA THE EAST T HANGERS. GROUND CONTROL WAS RECORDING THE NEW ATIS. N27GM WAS CALLING FOR TAXI FROM THE EAST T HANGERS AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. GROUND CONTROL DID NOT HEAR THE INITIAL REQUEST AND ASKED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE EAST T HANGERS TO, ?SAY AGAIN.? N27GM REPEATED HIS REQUEST AND GROUND CONTROL ASKED HIM TO VERIFY HIS POSITION. N27GM ATTEMPTED TO RESPOND BUT HIS TRANSMISSION WAS UNREADABLE. GROUND CONTROL MADE SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT LONG EASY N27GM WITH NO LUCK.

THE PILOT IN PITTS (CONVENTIONAL WHEEL AIRCRAFT) N21WK, AFTER CLEARING RUNWAY 29L, BEGAN TAXIING TO THE EAST T HANGERS. AT THE START OF HIS TAXI, THE PILOT DID A FEW S-TURNS AS HE TAXIED TO ENSURE THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT OF HIM. IT IS STANDARD PRACTICE FOR CONVENTIONAL WHEEL AIRCRAFT TO CONSTANTLY MAKE S-TURNS WHILE TAXING BECAUSE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SEE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ONLY MADE THE S-TURNS AT THE START OF HIS TAXI BUT DID NOT CONTINUE.

THE PILOT, IN LONG EASY N27GM, WAS TAXIING FROM THE T-HANGERS FOR TAKEOFF. WHILE HE WAS TAXIING IN THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA HE MADE A CALL TO GROUND CONTROL FOR CLEARANCE TO TAXI. HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE CONTACTING GROUND CONTROL, SO HE REMAINED IN THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA AT THE INTERSECTION OF ALPHA AND JULIET. HE SAW THE PITTS COMING DOWN ALPHA, BUT ASSUMED THE PITTS WAS GOING TO TURN ONTO JULIET FOR TAKEOFF ON 29R. HE NEVER HEARD THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED TO N21WK. IF HIS RADIOS HAD BEEN WORKING FINE AT THE TIME, HE STILL WOULD NOT HAVE HEARD THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED TO N21WK, BECAUSE THOSE INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED ON TOWER FREQUENCY.

PITTS, N21WK, CRASHED INTO LONG EASY, N27GM, HEAD ON. THE PILOT, IN THE LONG EASY, STATED THAT BY THE TIME HE REALIZED THAT THE PITTS WAS NOT TURNING, IT WAS TOO LATE TO TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR19TA068Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3Final reportTorrance, CAThe biplane pilot’s inadequate visual lookout while taxing, which resulted in a ground collision.Jan 19, 2019 · 2 aircraft · Minor damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N27GMMason Gerald W VariezeAccident 20190119017722A · Substantial damage