- Date
- September 15, 2010, 15:07 local (19:07 UTC)
- Place
- Hazard, KY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N1156UMooney M20J
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100915048329A
- Case key
- 77358
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 clearance from a fuel pump while taxiing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s diverted attention.
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
The pilot stated that after landing he was taxiing the airplane to the parking ramp. With the self-service pumps clearly visible on the right side of the airplane, he taxied past them and reached over to open the cabin door. He sneezed twice and the airplane drifted right. The right wing impacted the fuel pump, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. Two witnesses who observed the accident reported that the airplane was taxiing fast. Review of security camera footage revealed that there were no obstructions in the immediate vicinity of the fuel pump. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was taxiing to the parking ramp after landing, and the self-serve fuel pump was "clearly visible" on the right side of the airplane. As the airplane approached the fuel pump, the pilot reached over to open the cabin door and sneezed twice. The airplane "drifted right," and the right wing impacted the fuel pump, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. Two witnesses who observed the accident reported that the airplane was taxiing "fast" and "quickly" respectively. Review of security camera footage revealed that there were no obstructions in the immediate vicinity of the fuel pump. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1156U
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1253
- Airframe hours
- 3,500
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 23, 2009
- Departed
- 27K · Georgetown, KY
- Destination
- K20 · Hazard, KY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- K20 · Wendell H Ford Airport
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- JKL, 12 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.1 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.
Other investigations on N1156U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.