20230116000869I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 340A · Frankfort, IN · January 16, 2023

Date: January 16, 2023 · 11:15 local
Place: Frankfort, IN
Airport: Frankfort Municipal
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N707BW
Reported as: Cessna 340A
Reported engine: Continental TSIO-520 series
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,957 total693 in this make and model58 in the last 90 days

N707BWRegistered now · Cessna 340AS/N 340A1812 · Built 1984 Airframe modelCessna 340A Engine modelContinental TSIO-520 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.

The pilot in command (PIC) was taxiing the aircraft for takeoff with a non-certificated passenger in the co-pilots seat. As he was taxiing, the passenger was having difficulty fastening his seat belt, the PIC reached over to assist him with his seat belt while the aircraft was in motion. The aircraft veered off the taxiway, causing the right hand propeller to strike a taxi way light on the taxi way edge which damaged the right hand propeller and the taxi light.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT FOR TAKEOFF WITH A NON-CERTIFICATED PASSENGER IN THE CO-PILOTS SEAT. AS HE WAS TAXIING, THE PASSENGER WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY FASTENING HIS SEAT BELT, THE PIC REACHED OVER TO ASSIST HIM WITH HIS SEAT BELT WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN MOTION. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE TAXIWAY, CAUSING THE RIGHT HAND PROPELLER TO STRIKE A TAXI WAY LIGHT ON THE TAXI WAY EDGE WHICH DAMAGED THE RIGHT HAND PROPELLER AND THE TAXI LIGHT.