20210803013439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172F · Tucson, AZ · August 3, 2021

Date
August 3, 2021 · 08:00 local
Place
Tucson, AZ
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N53350
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR21LA322
Reported as
Cessna 172F
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
20,000 total

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.

Accident caused by jet blast. These are the instructor pilot and student pilot statements. Substantial damage to the aircraft. Right wing spar bent near the tip, suspect damage in the wing carry through area, prop strike suspect bent crankshaft.

Instructor pilot statement:

While conducting primary flight training in N53350 we were instructed to taxi from A11 via a to d taxiway to Tucson jet center. While preceding down alpha taxiway I requested and was granted a right turn to the inner ramp to avoid jet blast from privacy data omitted. After clearing his blast area and rejoining taxiway a the pilot of the 737 powered up to take runway 11L . As he turned the corner he kept a very high level of thrust and blew us on the nose and right wingtip striking the propeller and damaging the right wing.

I radioed ground and informed them of the problem and requested assistance.

privacy data omitted

Student pilot statement:

On 8/3 at approximately 710AM, I was finishing a flight lesson in N53350. We were off the runway and were on the ground frequency and were told before taxiing onto a to wait for the privacy data omitted plane that was approaching us from the right. Upon waiting for it to pass, we followed the privacy data omitted plane to continue our approved taxi pattern back to Tucson jet center from a to d. we noticed the privacy data omitted plane was slowing to turn onto A3. privacy data omitted Radioed the ground and requested approval to taxi wide due to the privacy data omitted plane so close to our taxiway. He went as wide as possible while still staying on the taxiway and upon passing the privacy data omitted plane, he noticed the privacy data omitted plane increasing the power. We had passed behind the plane and we?re about 45 degrees from the very end of the airplane but the power that was blasted got under our left wing and tipped our airplane over touching the right wing to the ground before settling back down and bending the propeller in the process. The jet blast from the privacy data omitted airplane was much more than what is normal at that position and seemed excessive and unnecessary. We radioed ground that we needed assistance and Tucson airport operations was at our location within 5 minutes. No one was hurt.

As the FAA filed it

ACCIDENT CAUSED BY JET BLAST. THESE ARE THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND STUDENT PILOT STATEMENTS. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. RIGHT WING SPAR BENT NEAR THE TIP, SUSPECT DAMAGE IN THE WING CARRY THROUGH AREA, PROP STRIKE SUSPECT BENT CRANKSHAFT.

INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATEMENT:

WHILE CONDUCTING PRIMARY FLIGHT TRAINING IN N53350 WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI FROM A11 VIA A TO D TAXIWAY TO TUCSON JET CENTER. WHILE PRECEDING DOWN ALPHA TAXIWAY I REQUESTED AND WAS GRANTED A RIGHT TURN TO THE INNER RAMP TO AVOID JET BLAST FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AFTER CLEARING HIS BLAST AREA AND REJOINING TAXIWAY A THE PILOT OF THE 737 POWERED UP TO TAKE RUNWAY 11L . AS HE TURNED THE CORNER HE KEPT A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF THRUST AND BLEW US ON THE NOSE AND RIGHT WINGTIP STRIKING THE PROPELLER AND DAMAGING THE RIGHT WING.

I RADIOED GROUND AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

STUDENT PILOT STATEMENT:

ON 8/3 AT APPROXIMATELY 710AM, I WAS FINISHING A FLIGHT LESSON IN N53350. WE WERE OFF THE RUNWAY AND WERE ON THE GROUND FREQUENCY AND WERE TOLD BEFORE TAXIING ONTO A TO WAIT FOR THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PLANE THAT WAS APPROACHING US FROM THE RIGHT. UPON WAITING FOR IT TO PASS, WE FOLLOWED THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PLANE TO CONTINUE OUR APPROVED TAXI PATTERN BACK TO TUCSON JET CENTER FROM A TO D. WE NOTICED THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PLANE WAS SLOWING TO TURN ONTO A3. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RADIOED THE GROUND AND REQUESTED APPROVAL TO TAXI WIDE DUE TO THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PLANE SO CLOSE TO OUR TAXIWAY. HE WENT AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE WHILE STILL STAYING ON THE TAXIWAY AND UPON PASSING THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PLANE, HE NOTICED THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PLANE INCREASING THE POWER. WE HAD PASSED BEHIND THE PLANE AND WE?RE ABOUT 45 DEGREES FROM THE VERY END OF THE AIRPLANE BUT THE POWER THAT WAS BLASTED GOT UNDER OUR LEFT WING AND TIPPED OUR AIRPLANE OVER TOUCHING THE RIGHT WING TO THE GROUND BEFORE SETTLING BACK DOWN AND BENDING THE PROPELLER IN THE PROCESS. THE JET BLAST FROM THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRPLANE WAS MUCH MORE THAN WHAT IS NORMAL AT THAT POSITION AND SEEMED EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY. WE RADIOED GROUND THAT WE NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND TUCSON AIRPORT OPERATIONS WAS AT OUR LOCATION WITHIN 5 MINUTES. NO ONE WAS HURT.

NTSB investigation

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