- Date
- July 27, 2010, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- New York, NY
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N905LPGulfstream GIV
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 7, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100727039409A
- Case key
- 76789
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 flight crew’s failure to maintain adequate wing tip clearance from a light pole during taxi.
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
According to the first officer, the airplane was being directed to the parking area by a marshaler, who was positioned in front and to the left of the airplane. The first officer looked out his window to observe the right wing's clearance from a blast fence, but could not see the wing tip due to the sun's position behind the airplane. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the captain stated that he knew the wing was close to the fence, but the marshaler was signaling to continue. The airplane's right wing tip then impacted a light pole inside the blast fence, resulting in substantial damage. The captain stated that prior to impact, the marshaler never signaled for the flight crew to stop. The marshaler stated to the FAA inspector that she attempted to signal the captain to stop, but his head was turned to the right. The FAA inspector also reported that the first officer never advised the captain to stop the airplane or use caution.
Factual narrative
According to the first officer, the airplane was being directed to the parking area by one marshaler, who was positioned in front of, and to the left of the airplane. The first officer looked out his window to determine the right wing's clearance from a blast fence, but could not see the wingtip due to the sun's position behind the airplane. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the captain stated that he knew the wing was "close" to the fence, but the marshaler was signaling to continue. The airplane's right wingtip then impacted a light pole inside the blast fence, resulting in substantial damage. The captain stated that prior to impact, the marshaler never signaled them to stop. The marshaler stated to the FAA inspector that she attempted to signal the captain to stop, but his head "was turned to the right." The FAA inspector also reported that the first officer never advised the captain to stop the airplane or use caution in the "tight area."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N905LP
- Reported as
- Gulfstream GIV (SP)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1321
- Airframe hours
- 5,434
- Engines
- Rolls Royce TAY 611-8, 13,850 lbs thrust, turbo fanRolls Royce TAY 611-8, 13,850 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas H Lee Management Co, LLC
- Registered owner
- Thomas H Lee Management Co, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · April 9, 2010
- Departed
- BED · Bedford, MA
- Destination
- JFK · New York, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- JFK · John F Kennedy International
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 5, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 70 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 22, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,500 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 70 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- JFK
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 2, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.