- Date
- July 22, 2010, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- McCook, NE
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N51ARAero Commander S2R
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Lincoln FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100722039372A
- Case key
- 76716
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
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout during taxi, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane.
Findings · 1
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.
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
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped agricultural airplane had returned from a local flight and was refueling and reloading with the propeller operating. During that time, a second airplane arrived and parked on the airport ramp directly in front of the agricultural airplane. The pilot of the agricultural airplane completed refueling and reloading and began to taxi for takeoff. He made no turns and taxied straight ahead. Due to the tailwheel configuration of the airplane, the pilot had limited visibility when taxiing. The agricultural airplane taxied directly into the parked and unoccupied airplane, the operating propeller impacted that airplane, and both airplanes were immediately engulfed in fire. The pilot evacuated unassisted and was seriously injured. Both airplanes were substantially damaged by fire.
Factual narrative
On July 22, 2010 about 1145 central daylight time, an Aero Commander S2R, N51AR, was taxiing for take-off when it collided with a parked and unoccupied airplane, Piper PA-18A 150, N2287W, at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport (MCK) McCook, Nebraska. The fuselage, empennage, and both wings of N2287W were substantially damaged from impact with N51AR. Both airplanes were substantially damaged by the postimpact fire. The pilot of N51AR sustained serious injuries and no other persons were injured. N51AR was owned by Griff H Mallek DBA and was operated by Red Willow Aviation Spraying, Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and a flight plan had not been filed for the local flight. N51AR was refueling and reloading while parked on the ramp with the propeller operating. During that time N2287W arrived and parked on the airport ramp directly in front of N51AR. The occupants of N2287W exited the airplane and left the area. The pilot of the tailwheel equipped N51AR completed refueling and reloading and then began to taxi for take-off. He made no turns and taxied straight ahead. N51AR taxied directly into the parked and unoccupied airplane and the operating propeller impacted the second airplane. Witnesses reported that both airplanes were immediately engulfed in fire. The pilot of N51AR evacuated the airplane unassisted and the fire was extinguished by firefighters.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51AR
- Reported as
- Aero Commander S2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1523R
- Airframe hours
- 6,213
- Engine
- Walter M601-E11, 751 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Red Willow Aviation Spraying Inc, doing business as Red Willow Aviation Spraying Inc
- Registered owner
- Griff H Malleck DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 3, 2010 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- MCK · McCook, NE
- Destination
- MCK · McCook, NE
- Airport
- MCK · McCook Ben Nelson Regional
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
- 29
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 26, 2010
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 700 in this make and model · 250 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KMCK
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 12, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.