# NTSB CEN16LA008: Beechcraft A36, N55674, Dallas, TX, October 12, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 12, 2015, 13:40 local (18:40 UTC) - Place: Dallas, TX - Coordinates: 32.847221, -96.851669 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8472&lon=-96.8517&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Taxi: Ground handling event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 30, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA North Texas FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 92161 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN16LA008 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/92161/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92161 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16LA008 ## Probable cause The pilot’s improper navigation onto a vehicle service road while taxiing and his subsequent distraction while looking at an airport diagram, which led to the airplane impacting a fence post. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: flight planning/navigation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061025): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech A36, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061025/cases.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 179 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061025/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech A36, 17 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech A36, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: fence/fence post](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Beech A36, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047/cases.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 313 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Taxi: Ground handling event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech A36, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080/sequence.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 108 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080/sequence.md) - [Taxi: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Beech A36, 78 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he was taxiing for takeoff when he inadvertently turned onto a vehicle service road instead of the taxiway as he was leaving the ramp area. He then looked down to review the airport diagram on his tablet. As he was reviewing the airport diagram while still taxiing, the left wing impacted a fence post. The airplane's nose then turned left, and the front of the airplane impacted a vehicle gate, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. ## Factual narrative On October 12, 2015, about 1340 central standard time, a Beechcraft A36, N55674, sustained substantial damage while taxiing for takeoff at Dallas Love Field (DAL), Dallas, Texas, when the left wingtip hit a service road fence post. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Frog Air LLC under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight plan was filed. The destination airport was the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA), Amarillo, Texas. Air traffic control cleared the pilot to taxi to runway 31R via Taxiway A. While leaving the ramp area and transitioning to the taxiway environment, the pilot joined a vehicle service road instead of Taxiway A. As he taxied on the service road, the airplane came to a security fence on the left side of the road. The pilot reported that he looked down to review the airport diagram on his iPad. As he was looking over the airport diagram while still taxiing, the left wing impacted a fence post, which was part of a vehicle gate. The impact turned the nose of the aircraft to the left and the front of the aircraft impacted the vehicle gate, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. At 1353, the surface weather at DAL was: wind variable at 4 kts; 10 miles visibility; skies clear; temperature 33 degrees C; dew point 17 degrees C; altimeter 29.78 inches of mercury. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N55674](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N55674), registered now, S/N E-2542, built 1990 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECHCRAFT A36 - Registry model: [Beech A36](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-a36) (registry code 1151604) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-550 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (registry code 17042, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: E-2542 - Year built: 1990 - Engines: Continental IO-550B 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Frog Air LLC - Registered owner: Frog Air LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 9, 2015 - Departed: DAL, Dallas, TX - Destination: AMA, Amarillo, TX - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: DAL, Dallas Love Field Airport - Equipment: Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Onboard weather ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 62; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 2,950 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 2,537 as pilot in command, 75 in the last 90 days, 23 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 91 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 29.78 inHg - Observed at: DAL ## 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 20151012022049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151012022049A), Oct 12, 2015: Beech A36, Dallas, TX, Substantial damage. Pilot taxi'd out of business jet services FBO with clearance to runway 31R via taxiway alpha. The pilot mistook the auto vehicle service road to be taxiway… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92161. 3.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40433425&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.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.