- Date
- December 30, 2008, 18:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Chattanooga, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N400SCBeech G35
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081230853799A
- Case key
- 73168
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 failure to see and avoid the marked helicopter dolly. Contributing to the accident were the dark night conditions.
Findings · 2
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 landed and taxied toward his hangar during night, visual meteorological conditions. As the pilot entered a general aviation parking ramp, the right main landing gear struck a parked helicopter dolly. The right gear collapsed, the right wing forward and aft spars were damaged, and a fuel leak resulted. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector and the airport authority reported that the parked dolly was clearly marked. The pilot reported that he did not see the dolly prior to the collision.
Factual narrative
The pilot landed on runway 20 and taxied toward his T-hangar. Night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed. As the pilot entered a general aviation parking ramp, the right main landing gear struck a parked helicopter dolly. The right gear collapsed, the right wing forward and aft spars were damaged, and a fuel leak resulted. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector and the airport authority reported that the parked dolly was adequately marked. The pilot reported that he did not see the dolly prior to the collision.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N400SC
- Reported as
- Beech G35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-4569
- Airframe hours
- 7,763
- Engine
- Cont Motor E225 SERIES, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James W. Roberts, Jr.
- Registered owner
- James W. Roberts, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2008 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- RNC · McMinnville, TN
- Destination
- CHA · Chattanooga, TN
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- CHA · Lovell 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
- 81
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 3, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,500 total · 7,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- CHA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.