- Date
- June 22, 2008, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Osage Beach, MO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N8106MPiper PA-28-236
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20080622838649A
- Case key
- 68318
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 failed to maintain separation from the parked airplanes while taxiing at an excessive speed for the conditions. Contributing to the accident was the airport personnel's decision to park the airplanes in close proximity to the taxiway.
Findings · 4
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
Airport personnel parked approximately 20 airplanes in close proximity to the taxiway. The private pilot was taxiing at approximately 15 miles beside the parked aircraft when the left wingtip of his airplane struck the propeller spinner of a parked aircraft. The pilot then hit two additional parked airplanes before he was able to stop his airplane. The nose of the first parked airplane measured six inches from the taxiway edge, the taxiway was 30 feet wide, and the taxiing airplane had a wingspan of 35 feet.
Factual narrative
Approximately 65 airplanes had flown to the airport for a fly-in. Excess airplanes that could not be parked on the ramp or in a nearby field were parked along the parallel taxiway, starting closest to the ramp. Terrain in the area the planes were parked sloped away from the taxiway, requiring airport personnel to park approximately 20 airplanes with their noses within three feet of the left edge of the taxiway. The planes were parked closer to the taxiway than they had during previous fly-ins due to recent rains softening the ground. The private pilot stated he was taxiing on the parallel taxiway to takeoff at idle power between 10 and 15 miles per hour and three feet right of centerline. He said he was cognizant of the wet ground off the taxiway and didn't want his wheels to go into the mud. The pilot cleared most of the parked airplanes when his left wingtip struck the propeller spinner of the third parked airplane from the end. The pilot then hit the last two parked airplanes before he was able to stop his airplane. The nose of the first parked airplane measured six inches from the taxiway edge, the taxiway was 30 feet wide, and the taxiing airplane had a wingspan of 35 feet. Airport personnel had issued a L-NOTAM for increased activity at the airport and airplanes parked near the taxiway. Interviews with the airport manager revealed the area between the taxiway and perimeter fence further southeast away from the ramp and accident location would allow airplanes to be pushed back approximately ten feet from the taxiway. Examination of the taxiing airplane revealed the leading edge of the left wing separated from the fuselage approximately six inches.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8106M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-236
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 288011006
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J3A5D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mcquay, doing business as Mcquay
- Registered owner
- Michael McQuay
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Osage Beach, MO
- Destination
- KIWS · W. Houston Apt, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 407 total · 253 in this make and model · 344 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Observed at
- KAIZ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.