- Date
- November 5, 2007, 13:41 local (19:41 UTC)
- Place
- Nashville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N5555RCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20071105827559A
- Case key
- 67032
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A propwash encounter during taxi from a four-engine airplane that overturned the pilot's single-engine airplane when he elected to taxi across the larger airplane's propwash.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private certificated pilot was cleared to taxi for takeoff and was proceeding toward the departure runway in a light, single-engine airplane. The pilot saw a four-engine military C-130 turboprop airplane that appeared to be doing an engine run-up, about 300 feet to the left of his taxiway. In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, the pilot reported, "I stopped short, and contacted Nashville ground 121.9, stating that I request further taxi instructions since a C-130 is running engines with exhaust blast toward me." The controller stated "...proceed your discretion." The pilot continued to taxi behind the C-130, and his airplane was struck by the propwash. The pilot's airplane was blown sideways and overturned. Paragraph 11, Jet Engine Exhaust, of the FAA's Advisory Circular AC 90-23F Aircraft Wake Turbulence, notes that light aircraft need to maintain adequate separation from jet engine blast during ground operations.
Factual narrative
The private certificated pilot was cleared to taxi for takeoff and was proceeding toward the departure runway in a light, single-engine airplane. The pilot saw a four-engine military C-130 turboprop airplane that appeared to be doing an engine run-up, about 300 feet to the left of his taxiway. In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, the pilot reported, "I stopped short, and contacted Nashville ground 121.9, stating that I request further taxi instructions since a C-130 is running engines with exhaust blast toward me." The controller stated "...proceed your discretion." The pilot continued to taxi behind the C-130, and his airplane was struck by the propwash. The pilot's airplane was blown sideways and overturned. Paragraph 11, Jet Engine Exhaust, of the FAA's Advisory Circular AC 90-23F Aircraft Wake Turbulence, notes that light aircraft need to maintain adequate separation from jet engine blast during ground operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5555R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253143
- Engine
- Lycoming O-300, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Merlin G. Grigsby
- Registered owner
- Merlin Grigsby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KBNA · Nashville, TN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KBNA · Nashville International
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 760 total · 760 in this make and model · 78 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.