CEN10CA540

NTSB accident investigation · Beech E-90 · Colorado Springs, CO · September 5, 2010

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
September 4, 2010, 21:00 local (Sep 5, 2010, 03:00 UTC)
Place
Colorado Springs, CO
Injuries
4 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Post-impact
Aircraft
N16LHBeech E-90
Defining event
Post-impact: Ground collision
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night
Status
Completed · report May 5, 2011
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
Case key
77310

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to ensure that the airplane’s parking brake was properly set before diverting his attention to other tasks.

Findings · 2

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Landing gear system: brakeAircraft › Aircraft systems · Incorrect use/operationBeech E-90: 1 caseAll aircraft: 297 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

Following a night landing, the pilot taxied to the ramp and was marshaled into a parking space by ground crew personnel. The pilot stopped the twin-engine airplane and set the parking brake before continuing with other checklist items. Unbeknownst to the pilot, the airplane began to roll forward until it impacted a tug and ground power unit, located approximately 25 feet across the ramp. During the impact, the nose landing gear collapsed and the nose of the airplane came to rest on the rear of the tug, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

Following a night landing the pilot taxied to the ramp and was marshaled into a parking space by ground crew personnel. The pilot stopped the twin-engine airplane and set the parking brake before continuing with other checklist items. Unbeknownst to the pilot, the airplane with engines still running began to roll forward until it impacted a tug and ground power unit (GPU), located approximately 25 feet across the ramp. During impact the nose landing gear collapsed and the nose of the airplane came to rest on the rear of the tug. The pilot immediately shut down both engines, and he along with the three passengers exited the airplane unassisted. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane and reported that the airplane’s forward fuselage had sustained structural damage during the accident. No anomalies were noted with the airplane's systems.

Aircraft

Registration
N16LH
Reported as
Beech E-90
Category
Airplane
Serial number
LW-217
Airframe hours
4,170
Engines
P&W Canada PT6A-60A, 1,050 horsepower, turbo propP&W Canada PT6A-60A, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Sundance Farms Inc.
Registered owner
Cape Lookout Marine Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
AAIP · March 5, 2010
Departed
ONO · Ontario, OR
Destination
COS · Colorado Springs, CO
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
COS · Colorado Springs Municipal

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
60
Injuries
None
Certificates
Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Helicopter, Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
September 2, 2010
Seat
Left
Flight hours
7,444 total · 220 in this make and model · 5,480 as pilot in command

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night
Visibility
6 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 32 °F
Observed at
COS

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.