- Date
- October 6, 2007, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Laurel, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N954ZCub Crafters CC11-100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Jackson, Mississippi
- FAA report
- 20071006825219A
- Case key
- 66900
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 single-engine pilot's failure to avoid the jet blast while taxiing and the maintenance personnel's poor judgment to perform the engine ground run with the jet's engine exhaust directed across the taxiway.
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 3,500-hour commercial pilot, who was exercising sport pilot privileges, lost control of the tailwheel-equipped airplane upon encountering the jet blast from a twin-turbofan powered corporate jet. The airplane was taxiing to the ramp upon completion of a local flight when the mishap occurred. The corporate jet was being run-up by maintenance personnel with the jet engine blast directed across the taxiway. The single-engine airplane came to rest in an upright position and the pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane unassisted. The left wing spar was found to have received structural damage. The airport did not have an operating control tower. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, Chapter 7, paragraph 7-3-8 a, "....the flight disciplines necessary to ensure vortex avoidance during VFR operations must be exercised by the pilot." In addition, paragraph 7-3-1 states that "pilots of larger aircraft should be particularly careful to consider the effects of their "jet blast" on other aircraft....during ground operations."
Factual narrative
The 3,500-hour commercial pilot, who was exercising sport pilot privileges, lost control of the tailwheel-equipped airplane upon encountering the jet blast from a twin-turbofan powered corporate jet. The airplane was taxiing to the ramp upon completion of a local flight when the mishap occurred. The corporate jet was being run-up by maintenance personnel with the jet engine blast directed across the taxiway. The single-engine airplane came to rest in an upright position. The left wing spar was found to have received structural damage. The airport did not feature an operating control tower. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, Chapter 7, paragraph 7-3-8 a, "....the flight disciplines necessary to ensure vortex avoidance during VFR operations must be exercised by the pilot." In addition, paragraph 7-3-1 states that "pilots of larger aircraft should be particularly careful to consider the effects of their "jet blast" on other aircraft....during ground operations."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N954Z
- Reported as
- Cub Crafters CC11-100
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CC11-00041
- Airframe hours
- 55
- Engine
- Continental O-200, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2007
- Departed
- GLH · Greenville, MS
- Destination
- LUL · Laurel, MS
- Airport
- LUL · Hesler-Noble Field
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 60 in this make and model · 60 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.