20211020017199I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · American Champion 7GCAA · Bakersfield, CA · October 20, 2021

Date
October 20, 2021 · 08:30 local
Place
Bakersfield, CA
Airport
Meadows Field
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N159TM
Reported as
American Champion 7GCAA
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
11,000 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.

On 10/20/2021, the subject aircraft was taxiing from the non-movement area (epic ramp) for takeoff on rny 12L via taxiway alpha at bfl. The PIC received taxi clearance from ground control and was informed there was a helicopter in the run-up area adjacent to taxiway bravo and to use caution. The PIC acknowledged his taxi clearance and to use caution near the helicopter. The pilot reported that as he approached the running helicopter he did not encounter any buffeting of his aircraft from the helicopter?s rotor-wash. As he taxied past the helicopter, the left wing of his aircraft lifted enough to lift the left main wheel off the ground. The pilot corrected with left aileron and brought the wing down. Simultaneously, the tail of his aircraft lifted and he did not have enough control authority to lower it. The aircraft ended up on its nose, damaging the engine and prop. The pilot secured the aircraft systems and exited the aircraft uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

ON 10/20/2021, THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIING FROM THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA (EPIC RAMP) FOR TAKEOFF ON RNY 12L VIA TAXIWAY ALPHA AT BFL. THE PIC RECEIVED TAXI CLEARANCE FROM GROUND CONTROL AND WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A HELICOPTER IN THE RUN-UP AREA ADJACENT TO TAXIWAY BRAVO AND TO USE CAUTION. THE PIC ACKNOWLEDGED HIS TAXI CLEARANCE AND TO USE CAUTION NEAR THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE APPROACHED THE RUNNING HELICOPTER HE DID NOT ENCOUNTER ANY BUFFETING OF HIS AIRCRAFT FROM THE HELICOPTER?S ROTOR-WASH. AS HE TAXIED PAST THE HELICOPTER, THE LEFT WING OF HIS AIRCRAFT LIFTED ENOUGH TO LIFT THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL OFF THE GROUND. THE PILOT CORRECTED WITH LEFT AILERON AND BROUGHT THE WING DOWN. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE TAIL OF HIS AIRCRAFT LIFTED AND HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH CONTROL AUTHORITY TO LOWER IT. THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP ON ITS NOSE, DAMAGING THE ENGINE AND PROP. THE PILOT SECURED THE AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED.