20230810018299I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech 58 · Fort Pierce, FL · August 10, 2023

Date: August 10, 2023 · 15:35 local
Place: Fort Pierce, FL
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N13TW
Reported as: Beech 58
Reported engine: Continental IO-550 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,000 total1,500 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N13TWRegistered now · Beech 58S/N TH-1468 · Built 1985 Airframe modelBeech 58 Engine modelContinental IO-550 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 acft departed taxiway charlie at delta while taxiing for departure on rwy 14. The acft struck 2 twy lights and damaged both props.

The PIC rptd he had inadvertently let the rt MLG tire get off the rt edge of the twy onto soft rain-soaked grass which caused the acft to veer completely off the taxiway. The acft then collided with taxiway lights as the PIC attempted to steer the acft back onto the rwy. The PIC noted that rainwater was puddled along the edge of the taxiway, making it difficult to see where the edge was located.

Photos of the scene taken by arpt personnel shortly after the mishap revealed some small rain puddles remaining on the taxiway in spots but none were obscuring the taxiway edge. The taxiway centerline was clearly marked and visible.

An FAA arpt district office ASI reviewed the scene photos and twy condition and stated that the taxiway meets FAA marking standards. The water 'ponding' (puddles) on the taxiway at the time was not considered excessive.

As the FAA filed it

THE ACFT DEPARTED TAXIWAY CHARLIE AT DELTA WHILE TAXIING FOR DEPARTURE ON RWY 14. THE ACFT STRUCK 2 TWY LIGHTS AND DAMAGED BOTH PROPS.

THE PIC RPTD HE HAD INADVERTENTLY LET THE RT MLG TIRE GET OFF THE RT EDGE OF THE TWY ONTO SOFT RAIN-SOAKED GRASS WHICH CAUSED THE ACFT TO VEER COMPLETELY OFF THE TAXIWAY. THE ACFT THEN COLLIDED WITH TAXIWAY LIGHTS AS THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO STEER THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE RWY. THE PIC NOTED THAT RAINWATER WAS PUDDLED ALONG THE EDGE OF THE TAXIWAY, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE WHERE THE EDGE WAS LOCATED.

PHOTOS OF THE SCENE TAKEN BY ARPT PERSONNEL SHORTLY AFTER THE MISHAP REVEALED SOME SMALL RAIN PUDDLES REMAINING ON THE TAXIWAY IN SPOTS BUT NONE WERE OBSCURING THE TAXIWAY EDGE. THE TAXIWAY CENTERLINE WAS CLEARLY MARKED AND VISIBLE.

AN FAA ARPT DISTRICT OFFICE ASI REVIEWED THE SCENE PHOTOS AND TWY CONDITION AND STATED THAT THE TAXIWAY MEETS FAA MARKING STANDARDS. THE WATER 'PONDING' (PUDDLES) ON THE TAXIWAY AT THE TIME WAS NOT CONSIDERED EXCESSIVE.