What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 14, 0745L, at Dallas fort Worth airport a martinaire aircraft (N9471B) experienced an accident. The aircraft was taxiing into position in preparation for departure when it encountered surface winds from 170 at 17 knots, gusting to 27. Additionally, the aircraft had been subjected to vortices generated by a departing large jet.
The aircraft incurred significant damage to the wing and prop. Per martinaire and FAA on-site inspection: martineaire published standard operating procedures (SOP), ground operations are authorized in sustained wind conditions, including gusts, up to 40 knots. Under such parameters, an aircraft taxiing perpendicular to prevailing winds could be subjected to crosswind components up to the maximum allowable threshold without exceeding operational limitations. The wind conditions at the time of the incident remained within these prescribed limits. According to the pilot’s statement, while maneuvering onto the runway at an estimated 45-degree angle, the aircraft experienced an uncommanded lateral skid, accompanied by a lifting of the right wing. The pilot reported the application of full right aileron input in accordance with standard wind correction techniques for a right quartering headwind. The aileron input described is consistent with industry-standard procedures and martinaire’s operational guidance for maintaining lateral control during ground operations in quartering headwind conditions.
An operator performed inspection of the aircraft found no mechanical issues or anomalies that would have contributed to the event. The aircraft’s weight and balance were within operational limits, and there were no deviations from normal flight characteristics outside of those induced by environmental conditions. The aircraft inspection records, regisration and airworthiness certificates were all found to current and accurate. The FAA on-site inspection noted skin wrinkling and damage of the left wing extending approximately six feet towards the wind root and prop strike while under power. It was noted that the right tire has indication of sidewall damage caused by contact with the brake bleeder. No damage was noted to the fuselage, engine mounts or any other flight surfaces outside of those previously mentioned. The damage was localized and substantial to the left wing and prop.
The gusting nature of the wind possibly contributed to unexpected variations in aircraft handling. The presence of vortices from a departing large jet may disrupt the aircraft’s stability. While there is no direct evidence confirming wake turbulence interaction, the potential for its occurrence was a contributing factor.
The pilot met all qualification and currency requirements to operate the flight. The aircraft was airworthy with no outstanding maintenance issues. Operational procedures followed by the pilot were in accordance with martinaire’s approved flight operations manual and FAA part 135 regulations. The pilot’s handling of the situation was within the bounds of acceptable risk management practices per operator and FAA.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 14, 0745L, AT DALLAS FORT WORTH AIRPORT A MARTINAIRE AIRCRAFT (N9471B) EXPERIENCED AN ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIING INTO POSITION IN PREPARATION FOR DEPARTURE WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED SURFACE WINDS FROM 170 AT 17 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 27. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO VORTICES GENERATED BY A DEPARTING LARGE JET.
THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE WING AND PROP. PER MARTINAIRE AND FAA ON-SITE INSPECTION: MARTINEAIRE PUBLISHED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP), GROUND OPERATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED IN SUSTAINED WIND CONDITIONS, INCLUDING GUSTS, UP TO 40 KNOTS. UNDER SUCH PARAMETERS, AN AIRCRAFT TAXIING PERPENDICULAR TO PREVAILING WINDS COULD BE SUBJECTED TO CROSSWIND COMPONENTS UP TO THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE THRESHOLD WITHOUT EXCEEDING OPERATIONAL LIMITATIONS. THE WIND CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT REMAINED WITHIN THESE PRESCRIBED LIMITS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT’S STATEMENT, WHILE MANEUVERING ONTO THE RUNWAY AT AN ESTIMATED 45-DEGREE ANGLE, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED LATERAL SKID, ACCOMPANIED BY A LIFTING OF THE RIGHT WING. THE PILOT REPORTED THE APPLICATION OF FULL RIGHT AILERON INPUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDARD WIND CORRECTION TECHNIQUES FOR A RIGHT QUARTERING HEADWIND. THE AILERON INPUT DESCRIBED IS CONSISTENT WITH INDUSTRY-STANDARD PROCEDURES AND MARTINAIRE’S OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE FOR MAINTAINING LATERAL CONTROL DURING GROUND OPERATIONS IN QUARTERING HEADWIND CONDITIONS.
AN OPERATOR PERFORMED INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND NO MECHANICAL ISSUES OR ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT. THE AIRCRAFT’S WEIGHT AND BALANCE WERE WITHIN OPERATIONAL LIMITS, AND THERE WERE NO DEVIATIONS FROM NORMAL FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OUTSIDE OF THOSE INDUCED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT INSPECTION RECORDS, REGISRATION AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATES WERE ALL FOUND TO CURRENT AND ACCURATE. THE FAA ON-SITE INSPECTION NOTED SKIN WRINKLING AND DAMAGE OF THE LEFT WING EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY SIX FEET TOWARDS THE WIND ROOT AND PROP STRIKE WHILE UNDER POWER. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE RIGHT TIRE HAS INDICATION OF SIDEWALL DAMAGE CAUSED BY CONTACT WITH THE BRAKE BLEEDER. NO DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE FUSELAGE, ENGINE MOUNTS OR ANY OTHER FLIGHT SURFACES OUTSIDE OF THOSE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. THE DAMAGE WAS LOCALIZED AND SUBSTANTIAL TO THE LEFT WING AND PROP.
THE GUSTING NATURE OF THE WIND POSSIBLY CONTRIBUTED TO UNEXPECTED VARIATIONS IN AIRCRAFT HANDLING. THE PRESENCE OF VORTICES FROM A DEPARTING LARGE JET MAY DISRUPT THE AIRCRAFT’S STABILITY. WHILE THERE IS NO DIRECT EVIDENCE CONFIRMING WAKE TURBULENCE INTERACTION, THE POTENTIAL FOR ITS OCCURRENCE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
THE PILOT MET ALL QUALIFICATION AND CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS TO OPERATE THE FLIGHT.THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRWORTHY WITH NO OUTSTANDING MAINTENANCE ISSUES. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FOLLOWED BY THE PILOT WERE IN ACCORDANCE WITH MARTINAIRE’S APPROVED FLIGHT OPERATIONS MANUAL AND FAA PART 135 REGULATIONS.THE PILOT’S HANDLING OF THE SITUATION WAS WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF ACCEPTABLE RISK MANAGEMENT PRACTICES PER OPERATOR AND FAA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.