- Date
- September 13, 2010, 20:10 local (Sep 14, 2010, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Toms River, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N313MACessna 182S
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/PHL FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100913044919A
- Case key
- 77278
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 maintain an adequate visual lookout during a night taxi. Contributing to the accident was the improper parking of a ground vehicle partially onto the taxiway.
Findings · 3
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 pilot, he was preparing to return to his home airport. He began to taxi to the runway about 30 minutes after sunset. While taxiing, the airplane’s left wing impacted an unlit, unoccupied truck, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. A review of security camera footage revealed that the truck was parked partly on the taxiway and that the airplane was on the taxiway centerline with the landing light illuminated when the impact occurred. A Notice to Airmen was in effect at the time of the accident, closing the taxiways and runway, but only pertained to aircraft 13,500 pounds and above. Another Notice to Airmen, closing the taxiways to all aircraft, took effect about 1 hour after the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was preparing to depart the non-towered airport under visual flight rules back to his home airport. The pilot contacted flight service, and subsequent to engine start, began to taxi to the runway about 30 minutes after sunset. While taxiing, the airplane’s left wing impacted an unlit, unoccupied truck, resulting in substantial damage. A review of security camera footage revealed that the truck was parked partly on the taxiway and that the airplane was on the taxiway centerline with the landing light illuminated when the impact occurred. An audio recording of a conversation between flight service and the assistant airport manager revealed that a Notice to Airmen was in effect at the time of the accident, closing the taxiways and runway, but only pertained to aircraft 13,500 pounds and above. Another Notice to Airmen, closing the taxiways to all aircraft, took effect about 1 hour after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N313MA
- Reported as
- Cessna 182S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18280238
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Abrams David
- Registered owner
- Abrams David
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2009
- Departed
- MJX · Toms River, NJ
- Destination
- MJX · Toms River, NJ
- Airport
- MJX · Robert J. Miller Air Park
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 12, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 619 total · 619 in this make and model · 413 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 20° at 14 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- MJX
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 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.