- Date
- December 13, 2010, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- St. Thomas
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N1348LCessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 1, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101213054219A
- Case key
- 78074
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 while taxiing.
Findings · 1
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 was told that he had to reposition the airplane. While taxiing to an other area, he became fixated on staying clear of a jet on the ramp which had its engines running. He did not notice a white baggage cart that was parked on the ramp, and the airplane's left wing contacted the baggage cart, resulting in substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On December 13, 2010, at 1230 atlantic standard time, a Cessna 172S, N1348L, collided with a baggage cart while taxiing at the Cyril E. King Airport (STT), Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The airplane was registered to Flight World Inc., and operated by Isla Grande Flying School and Service Corporation under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (TUPJ), British Virgin Islands, about 1200. The pilot stated that he had flown three legs to deliver cargo to different islands. Prior to departing from TUPJ, he received a phone call from the chief pilot requesting that he fly to STT. The chief pilot stated that he had filed an international flight plan for the pilot, and customs was awaiting his arrival at STT. After landing at STT, while taxiing to the foreign arrivals customs area, he became fixated on staying clear of a jet on the ramp which had its engines running. He did not notice a white baggage cart which was parked on the ramp, and the airplane's left wing contacted the baggage cart, resulting in substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1348L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9939
- Airframe hours
- 906
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Isla Grande Flying School
- Registered owner
- Flight World, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TUPJ · Tortola
- Destination
- STT · St Thomas
- Airport
- STT · Cyril E King 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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 611 total · 402 in this make and model · 491 as pilot in command · 137 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- STT
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 25, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 659 KB 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.