What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 24, 2021 at 11:20 local time, a Cessna CE-172 aircraft, N6778A, privacy data omitted operated by an airline transport pilot, received substantial damage during taxi operations at the at the ford airport (imt), kingsford, Michigan. Daylight visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and passenger were not injured.
According to the pilot, following a local flight, he was taxiing on the main ramp to his hangar area. His path along the ramp proceeded behind a crj 200 jet aircraft, N699BR that, unknown to the pilot, was in the process of a maintenance run-up. The pilot states he had no idea the crj was even running as it was coned off with the door open and no personnel outside the aircraft to warn other pilots of the run-up. As the pilot taxied, he was almost directly behind the crj when he heard the engines spool up. At this time the 172 began an uncontrolled movement along the concrete that resulted in the tail coming up and the aircrafts left wing and propeller striking the surface. Once the aircraft was no longer in the jet blast area it came back down in an upright position. CFR was notified and responded. There was no post-crash fire.
The pilot also states he was unable to make radio contact with the maintenance crew to notify them of the situation. The maintenance crew did not announce over UNICOM that the maintenance run-up was underway, so gave no warning to aircraft in the area of the crj. Following the accident, the maintenance crew shut the aircraft down and walked into the terminal building unknowing what had transpired behind the jet.
According to the airport manager, it is not standard practice for maintenance run-up?s to be conducted on the main ramp/ taxi area at the ford airport. According to the maintenance crew, the gate agent gave them permission to conduct the run-up on the ramp.
Photographs show the 172 upright with the propeller tips bent forward. The left landing gear is bent outward slightly. The left wing is bent upward outboard of the wing strut with skin wrinkled on the underside. The main wing spar does appear to have been damaged near the outboard 3 feet of the wing. There is a large fuel stain under the left wing caused by fuel spillage during the accident. Additionally, according to the pilot, the nose gear was over stressed during the event resulting in rudder cable stretch or disconnect.
Weather was not a factor in this accident.
The maintenance crew of the crj 200, performing an engine run-up in an airport area not authorized for that activity nor following approved maintenance procedures including radio communications with other aircraft on ground are causal factors in this accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 24, 2021 AT 11:20 LOCAL TIME, A CESSNA CE-172 AIRCRAFT, N6778A, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATED BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING TAXI OPERATIONS AT THE AT THE FORD AIRPORT (IMT), KINGSFORD, MICHIGAN. DAYLIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, FOLLOWING A LOCAL FLIGHT, HE WAS TAXIING ON THE MAIN RAMP TO HIS HANGAR AREA. HIS PATH ALONG THE RAMP PROCEEDED BEHIND A CRJ 200 JET AIRCRAFT, N699BR THAT, UNKNOWN TO THE PILOT, WAS IN THE PROCESS OF A MAINTENANCE RUN-UP. THE PILOT STATES HE HAD NO IDEA THE CRJ WAS EVEN RUNNING AS IT WAS CONED OFF WITH THE DOOR OPEN AND NO PERSONNEL OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT TO WARN OTHER PILOTS OF THE RUN-UP. AS THE PILOT TAXIED, HE WAS ALMOST DIRECTLY BEHIND THE CRJ WHEN HE HEARD THE ENGINES SPOOL UP. AT THIS TIME THE 172 BEGAN AN UNCONTROLLED MOVEMENT ALONG THE CONCRETE THAT RESULTED IN THE TAIL COMING UP AND THE AIRCRAFTS LEFT WING AND PROPELLER STRIKING THE SURFACE. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS NO LONGER IN THE JET BLAST AREA IT CAME BACK DOWN IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. CFR WAS NOTIFIED AND RESPONDED. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.
THE PILOT ALSO STATES HE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH THE MAINTENANCE CREW TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE SITUATION. THE MAINTENANCE CREW DID NOT ANNOUNCE OVER UNICOM THAT THE MAINTENANCE RUN-UP WAS UNDERWAY, SO GAVE NO WARNING TO AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA OF THE CRJ. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE MAINTENANCE CREW SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND WALKED INTO THE TERMINAL BUILDING UNKNOWING WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED BEHIND THE JET.
ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT MANAGER, IT IS NOT STANDARD PRACTICE FOR MAINTENANCE RUN-UP?S TO BE CONDUCTED ON THE MAIN RAMP/ TAXI AREA AT THE FORD AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE MAINTENANCE CREW, THE GATE AGENT GAVE THEM PERMISSION TO CONDUCT THE RUN-UP ON THE RAMP.
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THE 172 UPRIGHT WITH THE PROPELLER TIPS BENT FORWARD. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR IS BENT OUTWARD SLIGHTLY. THE LEFT WING IS BENT UPWARD OUTBOARD OF THE WING STRUT WITH SKIN WRINKLED ON THE UNDERSIDE. THE MAIN WING SPAR DOES APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN DAMAGED NEAR THE OUTBOARD 3 FEET OF THE WING. THERE IS A LARGE FUEL STAIN UNDER THE LEFT WING CAUSED BY FUEL SPILLAGE DURING THE ACCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE NOSE GEAR WAS OVER STRESSED DURING THE EVENT RESULTING IN RUDDER CABLE STRETCH OR DISCONNECT.
WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT.
THE MAINTENANCE CREW OF THE CRJ 200, PERFORMING AN ENGINE RUN-UP IN AN AIRPORT AREA NOT AUTHORIZED FOR THAT ACTIVITY NOR FOLLOWING APPROVED MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES INCLUDING RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH OTHER AIRCRAFT ON GROUND ARE CAUSAL FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT.