# NTSB CEN09LA541: Cessna CE-560, N802QS, Kremmling, CO, August 23, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 23, 2009, 09:06 local (15:06 UTC) - Place: Kremmling, CO - Coordinates: 40.053611, -106.368888 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0536&lon=-106.3689&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Taxi: Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/082) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 8 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report March 3, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, NetJets - NTSB case key (mKey): 74593 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09LA541 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/74593/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74593 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA541 ## Probable cause The lineman’s inadvertent encounter with jet blast. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Environmental issues](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03030000): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 57 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03030000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Taxi: Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/082) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 44 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/082/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was taxiing the airplane away from the fueling depot when jet blast from the engines knocked over and seriously injured the lineman. There were no reported mechanical anomalies with the airplane. ## Factual narrative On August 23, 2009, at 0906 mountain daylight time, a Cessna CE-560, N802QS, registered to and operated by NetJets, caused serious injury to a ground maintenance lineman during ground operations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane was not damaged and none of the two pilots or six passengers on board the airplane were injured. The flight was operated under the provision of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 135 on an instrument flight plan. The airplane was taxiing to depart McElroy Airfield (2OV), Kremmling, Colorado, en route to Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California, at the time of the accident. According to the injured lineman, he was knocked over by jet blast as the airplane turned to exit the fueling depot on the ramp apron and suffered a broken femur. The lineman stated that when the jet arrived at the fuel depot, jet blast from the airplane blew grass onto the ramp. After refueling, the lineman told the pilot, “hey, when you leave blow that stuff off so I don’t have to get the leaf blower” and clear it. The lineman stated that upon leaving the fuel depot, the pilot briefly held the airplanes brakes and “revved it up about half throttle.” The airplane turned to exit the ramp area and jet blast from the engines knocked over the lineman. At that time, he was approximately 200 feet behind the airplane and standing near the fuel depot. In a written statement the pilot advised that after refueling, the lineman gave him a “thumbs up” indicating that the right wing was clear of obstructions and he began to taxi from the ramp. In doing so he “throttled the right engine up for a tight left turn while using the left brake so as to keep the turn radius to a minimum.” He then taxied out for departure. The pilot advised that he was unaware that the lineman had been blown over until reaching his destination. During a follow-up phone conversation, the pilot advised that he remembered the conversation about the grass on the ramp occurring the night before the scheduled departure. He advised the lineman that "it [the grass]will blow off when I leave," but there was no further discussion pertaining to the grass the day of departure. There were no reported mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The lineman reported that he wore personal protective equipment during the refueling process and that he had received safety training during the course of his employment. That training primarily addressed the proper refueling of airplanes, and he was unsure if the safety training included instruction on the dangers of jet/propeller blast. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), under authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Public Law 91-596, exercises regulatory and jurisdictional authority over matters concerning the occupational safety and health standards for U.S. registered civil aircraft in operation. A review of Title 40 CFR and Title 29 CFR failed to disclose any regulation requiring theadministration of safety briefings/warnings regarding the dangers of jet/propeller blast to ground workers. ## Aircraft - Registration: N802QS (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: CESSNA CE-560 (CITATION V) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 560-0706 - Airframe hours: 2242 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney 535A 3400 lbs thrust turbo fan; Pratt & Whitney 535A 3400 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: NetJets - Registered owner: NetJets - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: AAIP, July 27, 2009 - Departed: 20V, Kremling, CO - Destination: VNY, Van Nuys, CA - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: 20V, McElroy Airfield ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 42; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 10, 2009; seat: left; flight hours: 4,254 total, 1,054 in this make and model, 61 in the last 90 days, 22 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 32; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 19, 2009; seat: right; flight hours: 4,553 total, 1,245 in this make and model, 67 in the last 90 days, 22 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 90° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 30.25 inHg - Observed at: KHDN, 50 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20090823014709A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090823014709A), Aug 23, 2009: Cessna 560, Kremmling, CO, No damage. (-23) On August 23, 2009, at 0906 MST, a Cessna CE-560, N802QS,registered to netjets sales, inc. was moving off the refueling point at mcelroy airfield (K20V)… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 25, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74593. 5.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 5.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40320213&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Witness Statement (item 2, .PDF, 31 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40320216&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.