20220420005621I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 140A · Fort Pierce, FL · April 20, 2022

Date: April 20, 2022 · 11:10 local
Place: Fort Pierce, FL
Airport: Treasure Coast International
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision: Collision on the ground
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N9615A
Reported as: Cessna 140A
Reported engine: Continental C85 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,203 total1 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N9615ARegistered now · Cessna 140AS/N 15336 · Built 1949 Airframe modelCessna 140A Engine modelContinental C85 seriesReciprocating

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 April 20, 2022 at 11:10 EDT, aircraft N9615A, a Cessna 140, struck a parked aircraft in the self-serve fuel ramp at Treasure Coast International Airport (kfpr) in Fort Pierce, FL. VFR conditions and gusty winds prevailed.

privacy data omitted N9615A was the sole person and pilot at the time of the event. N9615A was being hand-propped/started and was not fully chocked or secured. The gusty winds contributed to the event when the strong winds, in conjunction with the propeller wash, exerted a force upon the vertical stabilizer of N9615A which caused the aircraft to taxi in a counterclockwise rotation without a person at the controls. The right vertical stabilizer of the Cessna 140 struck the right wing of N649TP, a PA-28.

Photographs show minor dents on the right side of vertical stabilizer and rudder of the Cessna 140, and minor damage of dents and scrape signatures to the right wingtip and leading edge of the PA-28.

As the FAA filed it

ON APRIL 20, 2022 AT 11:10 EDT, AIRCRAFT N9615A, A CESSNA 140, STRUCK A PARKED AIRCRAFT IN THE SELF-SERVE FUEL RAMP AT TREASURE COAST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KFPR) IN FORT PIERCE, FL. VFR CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS PREVAILED.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ N9615A WAS THE SOLE PERSON AND PILOT AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. N9615A WAS BEING HAND-PROPPED/STARTED AND WAS NOT FULLY CHOCKED OR SECURED. THE GUSTY WINDS CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT WHEN THE STRONG WINDS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PROPELLER WASH, EXERTED A FORCE UPON THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF N9615A WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TAXI IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE ROTATION WITHOUT A PERSON AT THE CONTROLS. THE RIGHT VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE CESSNA 140 STRUCK THE RIGHT WING OF N649TP, A PA-28.

PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW MINOR DENTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER OF THE CESSNA 140, AND MINOR DAMAGE OF DENTS AND SCRAPE SIGNATURES TO THE RIGHT WINGTIP AND LEADING EDGE OF THE PA-28.