What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 5, 2020, at approximately 1300 local time U.S. Registered aircraft N916BM was involved in a collision with another airplane while taxing. The aircraft was to be a part of a formation flight for the purpose of performing a missing-man memorial flight involving four other aircraft. After the safety and coordination briefing on the formation flight, the PIC positioned his yak 52TW (N916BM) in front of his hangar behind one of the nanchangs that was to participate in the formation flight. The hangar is located in the t-hangar rows at Torrance airport, which is part of the uncontrolled ramp. Believing that the nanchang in front of him had begun to taxi, the PIC began to taxi forward at a walking pace and inadvertently collided with the tail of the stationary nanchang. He immediately stopped and shutdown his aircraft. Prior to initiating taxi there was no communication with ATC by either pilot or that of the flight lead. The PIC stated the flight lead normally contacts ATC at such a time as the flight is staged in the non-movement area out from the hangars and in view of the tower. The hangar row where the two involved aircraft were located is relatively narrow. U.S. Registered aircraft N916BM is a tailwheel (conventional) design; this design makes it difficult to see directly forward over the engine cowling of the aircraft while on the ground. Taxing the aircraft requires turning, or "wagging" the tail in order to see directly ahead. The following is an excerpt from the pic's statement "as I began to slowly taxi, I thought the nanchang was also taxiing out to the staging area, as that aircraft was also a part of the formation flight. That nanchang was just short of the point where I would turn left to exit the hangar row and turn into a more open area, where it is easier to make s-turns (or wags) to clear the area in front of me. Since I thought the nanchang had already taxied out ahead of me, I proceeded to move forward, but before I could wag my yak to get a clear view ahead, my yaks propeller came in contact with the rear of the nanchang".
The planned flight was intended to be operated under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91, for the purpose of practicing formation flying. Meteorological conditions are unknown at this time although the pilot in command (PIC) did not indicate that weather was a factor.
Based on the information available at the time this report was written, there are no verifiable equipment or environmental factors, which would be construed as the primary cause of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 5, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 LOCAL TIME U.S. REGISTERED AIRCRAFT N916BM WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER AIRPLANE WHILE TAXING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO BE A PART OF A FORMATION FLIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERFORMING A MISSING-MAN MEMORIAL FLIGHT INVOLVING FOUR OTHER AIRCRAFT. AFTER THE SAFETY AND COORDINATION BRIEFING ON THE FORMATION FLIGHT, THE PIC POSITIONED HIS YAK 52TW (N916BM) IN FRONT OF HIS HANGAR BEHIND ONE OF THE NANCHANGS THAT WAS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FORMATION FLIGHT. THE HANGAR IS LOCATED IN THE T-HANGAR ROWS AT TORRANCE AIRPORT, WHICH IS PART OF THE UNCONTROLLED RAMP. BELIEVING THAT THE NANCHANG IN FRONT OF HIM HAD BEGUN TO TAXI, THE PIC BEGAN TO TAXI FORWARD AT A WALKING PACE AND INADVERTENTLY COLLIDED WITH THE TAIL OF THE STATIONARY NANCHANG. HE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND SHUTDOWN HIS AIRCRAFT. PRIOR TO INITIATING TAXI THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION WITH ATC BY EITHER PILOT OR THAT OF THE FLIGHT LEAD. THE PIC STATED THE FLIGHT LEAD NORMALLY CONTACTS ATC AT SUCH A TIME AS THE FLIGHT IS STAGED IN THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA OUT FROM THE HANGARS AND IN VIEW OF THE TOWER. THE HANGAR ROW WHERE THE TWO INVOLVED AIRCRAFT WERE LOCATED IS RELATIVELY NARROW. U.S. REGISTERED AIRCRAFT N916BM IS A TAILWHEEL (CONVENTIONAL) DESIGN; THIS DESIGN MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SEE DIRECTLY FORWARD OVER THE ENGINE COWLING OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ON THE GROUND. TAXING THE AIRCRAFT REQUIRES TURNING, OR "WAGGING" THE TAIL IN ORDER TO SEE DIRECTLY AHEAD. THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE PIC'S STATEMENT "AS I BEGAN TO SLOWLY TAXI, I THOUGHT THE NANCHANG WAS ALSO TAXIING OUT TO THE STAGING AREA, AS THAT AIRCRAFT WAS ALSO A PART OF THE FORMATION FLIGHT. THAT NANCHANG WAS JUST SHORT OF THE POINT WHERE I WOULD TURN LEFT TO EXIT THE HANGAR ROW AND TURN INTO A MORE OPEN AREA, WHERE IT IS EASIER TO MAKE S-TURNS (OR WAGS) TO CLEAR THE AREA IN FRONT OF ME. SINCE I THOUGHT THE NANCHANG HAD ALREADY TAXIED OUT AHEAD OF ME, I PROCEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT BEFORE I COULD WAG MY YAK TO GET A CLEAR VIEW AHEAD, MY YAKS PROPELLER CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE REAR OF THE NANCHANG".
THE PLANNED FLIGHT WAS INTENDED TO BE OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRACTICING FORMATION FLYING. METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ARE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME ALTHOUGH THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) DID NOT INDICATE THAT WEATHER WAS A FACTOR.
BASED ON THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THIS REPORT WAS WRITTEN, THERE ARE NO VERIFIABLE EQUIPMENT OR ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, WHICH WOULD BE CONSTRUED AS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
Other reports on N916BM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.