What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative:
On December 15, 2024, at approximately 1430 local time (2030 zulu) an experimental quickie Q-200 aircraft exited the runway 18 on taxiway bravo and after turning onto taxiway charlie the aircraft right main tire exited the taxiway and caused the aircraft to veer to the right and the propeller blade struck a taxi light. The incident took place at Southern Illinois Airport (kmdh). When the right tire exited the taxiway, the soil was very soft from raining all day the day before and the tire sunk into the soil and causing the aircraft to swerve right and both main landing gear ended up in the grass and before the pilot could stop the aircraft the propeller struck the taxiway light.
There was no evidence of a brake malfunction or issue with the aircraft as stated by the pilot in command (PIC). The PIC stated that the Q-200 has a 17-foot wheelbase, and the taxiway was 20 feet wide. The aircraft being a tailwheel aircraft can be difficult to stay exactly on centerline and the ground was very wet and once the right main landing gear got off the cement the tire quickly dug into the soft soil causing a lot of drag on the right side, swinging the aircraft to the right and off the taxiway. The pilot stated that he has taxied down the same taxiway 100’S of times and with suck a tight space the pilot has to stay vigilant with watching the left main tire and try to keep the correct distance by just the left tire reference. After the aircraft exited the taxiway and was stopped the PIC shut the engine off and notified the ground control that he was stuck and had hit a taxiway light. The PIC stated that ground control advised the PIC to not move the aircraft and to wait for the airport management to come out and see what happened. The PIC complied with atc’s instructions.
The inspector obtained the pilots records and pilot certificates. The pilot had a current biannual flight review on may 10, 2023. The pilot has flown about 3 hours in the last 90 days and about 20 hours in the last year. Total time of the PIC was 2465 with 2200 in make and model. A check through the faa’s safety performance analysis system (spas) revealed nothing with in the past 10 years.
Causal/contributing factors:
The pilot was interviewed by an FAA inspector via telephone. The inspector obtained a pilot statement via email. The wheelbase of the aircraft being 17 feet wide with the taxiway width approximately 20 feet wide was a contributing factor. The aircraft is a tailwheel aircraft, and it is sometimes necessary to move side to side to see in front of the aircraft leaving only 1.5 to 2 feet on either side of the main wheels. The pilot did not have wing walkers or anyone to help him stay on the taxiway.
Root cause analysis (rca):
The pilot did not have a good reason why he drifted to the right other than to see where he was going. The soil next to the taxiway was very wet from several inches of rain that feel the day before leaving the ground very wet and spongy.
ATC actions that contributed to the event:
None
Systemic corrective action:
This does not appear to be a systemic issue with the pilot.
Actions taken to correct the problem and prevent recurrence:
The inspector counseled with the PIC on staying vigilant while taxing. The PIC indicated that he is aware of the tight space on taxiway charlie and plans to redouble his efforts to stay on the centerline. The inspector has determined this matter is closed.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE:
ON DECEMBER 15, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 LOCAL TIME (2030 ZULU) AN EXPERIMENTAL QUICKIE Q-200 AIRCRAFT EXITED THE RUNWAY 18 ON TAXIWAY BRAVO AND AFTER TURNING ONTO TAXIWAY CHARLIE THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT MAIN TIRE EXITED THE TAXIWAY AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE RIGHT AND THE PROPELLER BLADE STRUCK A TAXI LIGHT. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AIRPORT (KMDH). WHEN THE RIGHT TIRE EXITED THE TAXIWAY, THE SOIL WAS VERY SOFT FROM RAINING ALL DAY THE DAY BEFORE AND THE TIRE SUNK INTO THE SOIL AND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SWERVE RIGHT AND BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR ENDED UP IN THE GRASS AND BEFORE THE PILOT COULD STOP THE AIRCRAFT THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE TAXIWAY LIGHT.
THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A BRAKE MALFUNCTION OR ISSUE WITH THE AIRCRAFT AS STATED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC). THE PIC STATED THAT THE Q-200 HAS A 17-FOOT WHEELBASE, AND THE TAXIWAY WAS 20 FEET WIDE. THE AIRCRAFT BEING A TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO STAY EXACTLY ON CENTERLINE AND THE GROUND WAS VERY WET AND ONCE THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR GOT OFF THE CEMENT THE TIRE QUICKLY DUG INTO THE SOFT SOIL CAUSING A LOT OF DRAG ON THE RIGHT SIDE, SWINGING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT AND OFF THE TAXIWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAS TAXIED DOWN THE SAME TAXIWAY 100’S OF TIMES AND WITH SUCK A TIGHT SPACE THE PILOT HAS TO STAY VIGILANT WITH WATCHING THE LEFT MAIN TIRE AND TRY TO KEEP THE CORRECT DISTANCE BY JUST THE LEFT TIRE REFERENCE. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE TAXIWAY AND WAS STOPPED THE PIC SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND NOTIFIED THE GROUND CONTROL THAT HE WAS STUCK AND HAD HIT A TAXIWAY LIGHT. THE PIC STATED THAT GROUND CONTROL ADVISED THE PIC TO NOT MOVE THE AIRCRAFT AND TO WAIT FOR THE AIRPORT MANAGEMENT TO COME OUT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED. THE PIC COMPLIED WITH ATC’S INSTRUCTIONS.
THE INSPECTOR OBTAINED THE PILOTS RECORDS AND PILOT CERTIFICATES. THE PILOT HAD A CURRENT BIANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW ON MAY 10, 2023. THE PILOT HAS FLOWN ABOUT 3 HOURS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS AND ABOUT 20 HOURS IN THE LAST YEAR. TOTAL TIME OF THE PIC WAS 2465 WITH 2200 IN MAKE AND MODEL. A CHECK THROUGH THE FAA’S SAFETY PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS SYSTEM (SPAS) REVEALED NOTHING WITH IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.
CAUSAL/CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR VIA TELEPHONE. THE INSPECTOR OBTAINED A PILOT STATEMENT VIA EMAIL. THE WHEELBASE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEING 17 FEET WIDE WITH THE TAXIWAY WIDTH APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET WIDE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE AIRCRAFT IS A TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT, AND IT IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY TO MOVE SIDE TO SIDE TO SEE IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT LEAVING ONLY 1.5 TO 2 FEET ON EITHER SIDE OF THE MAIN WHEELS. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE WING WALKERS OR ANYONE TO HELP HIM STAY ON THE TAXIWAY.
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS (RCA):
THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE A GOOD REASON WHY HE DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT OTHER THAN TO SEE WHERE HE WAS GOING. THE SOIL NEXT TO THE TAXIWAY WAS VERY WET FROM SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN THAT FEEL THE DAY BEFORE LEAVING THE GROUND VERY WET AND SPONGY.
ATC ACTIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT:
NONE
SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION:
THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SYSTEMIC ISSUE WITH THE PILOT.
ACTIONS TAKEN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND PREVENT RECURRENCE:
THE INSPECTOR COUNSELED WITH THE PIC ON STAYING VIGILANT WHILE TAXING. THE PIC INDICATED THAT HE IS AWARE OF THE TIGHT SPACE ON TAXIWAY CHARLIE AND PLANS TO REDOUBLE HIS EFFORTS TO STAY ON THE CENTERLINE. THE INSPECTOR HAS DETERMINED THIS MATTER IS CLOSED.
Other reports on N202SH · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.