20190711009889I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31 · Nantucket, MA · July 11, 2019

Date: July 11, 2019 · 15:40 local
Place: Nantucket, MA
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N131PJ
Reported as: Piper PA-31
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,950 total1,200 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N131PJRegistered now · Piper PA-31S/N 31-7912030 Airframe modelPiper PA-31 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

The pilot stated he was taxing out of the rented tie-down spot at Nantucket airport. As he was taxing to the run up area, before heading to runway 24. The aircraft started to veer to the left, he corrected the aircraft to the right. The aircraft continued to the right at a very slow speed. He attempted to steer the aircraft back to the left, but because of the slow speed it was difficult to turn the aircraft. He realized that he was going to contact the hanger so he immediately shut the engine off, and attempted to apply the brakes. The aircraft rolled into the hanger door; the left propeller struck the hanger door. The engine was not under any power, but was rotating, windmilling down after being shut down. The damage to the aircraft was isolated to the left propeller only. The hanger door sustained impact damage to 2 panels.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED HE WAS TAXING OUT OF THE RENTED TIE-DOWN SPOT AT NANTUCKET AIRPORT. AS HE WAS TAXING TO THE RUN UP AREA, BEFORE HEADING TO RUNWAY 24. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO VEER TO THE LEFT, HE CORRECTED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. HE ATTEMPTED TO STEER THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE LEFT, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SLOW SPEED IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT. HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS GOING TO CONTACT THE HANGER SO HE IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED INTO THE HANGER DOOR; THE LEFT PROPELLER STRUCK THE HANGER DOOR. THE ENGINE WAS NOT UNDER ANY POWER, BUT WAS ROTATING, WINDMILLING DOWN AFTER BEING SHUT DOWN. THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS ISOLATED TO THE LEFT PROPELLER ONLY. THE HANGER DOOR SUSTAINED IMPACT DAMAGE TO 2 PANELS.