- Date
- June 29, 2000, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Griffith, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N11527Cessna 150L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000629036419A
- Case key
- 51061
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 failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from the building during taxi.
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 pilot reported that he wanted to test his taxi abilities by limiting his usage of the brakes while taxiing. The pilot reported that during the taxi it was necessary to avoid an uneven area of tarmac and while maneuvering around the uneven area the right wingtip impacted a building. The pilot stated, "...tryed [tried] to bring back to left with heavy left brake result in right wing tip striking corner of hanger."
Factual narrative
On June 29, 2000, at 1730 eastern standard time, a Cessna C-150L, N11527, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when the aircraft collided with a building while taxing at the Griffith-Merrillville Airport, Griffith, Indiana. The local, personal, flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no injures. The pilot stated that he was returning to the hanger after an engine run-up for mechanical reasons when he impacted the building.
According to the pilot's written statement, he wanted to test his taxi abilities by limiting his usage of the brakes while taxiing. The pilot reported that during the taxi it was necessary to avoid an uneven area of tarmac and while maneuvering around the uneven area the right wingtip impacted a building. The pilot stated, "...tryed [tried] to bring back to left with heavy left brake result in right wing tip striking corner of hanger."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11527
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15075489
- Airframe hours
- 4,643
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Trav Airs Flying Association
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 19, 2000 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- 05C
- Airport
- 05C · Griffith-Merryville Airpo
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 171 total · 53 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 162 °F, dew point 138 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GYY, 6 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.