- Date
- June 15, 2012, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Churchville, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N73134Cessna 172M
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120615012039A
- Case key
- 84096
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 tractor operator's failure to confirm the landing airplane's position before entering an active runway, which resulted in a ground collision.
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 stated that he was preparing to land at the airport and that he made radio calls on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) to announce the airplane's position on the downwind, base, and final legs of the traffic pattern. While on the landing roll, as the airplane traveled over a crest in the runway, the pilot observed a tractor crossing the runway from left to right. The pilot steered the airplane to the right to avoid a collision, and the airplane's left wing contacted the tractor, which resulted in substantial damage. The operator of the tractor stated that he heard the airplane's CTAF transmissions but proceeded to cross the runway because he assumed that the airplane was already clear of the runway. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was preparing to land at the airport and made radio calls on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) to announce the airplane's position on the downwind, base, and final legs of the traffic pattern. While on the landing roll, as the airplane traveled over a crest in the runway, the pilot observed a tractor crossing the runway from left to right. The pilot steered the airplane to the right to avoid a collision, and the airplane's left wing contacted the tractor, resulting in substantial damage. The operator of the tractor stated that he heard the airplane's CTAF transmissions, but proceeded to cross because he assumed that the airplane was clear of the runway. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73134
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267281
- Airframe hours
- 10,540
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ck Leasing Services LLC
- Registered owner
- Ck Leasing Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 2012
- Departed
- 0W3 · Churchville, MD
- Destination
- 0W3 · Churchville, MD
- Airport
- 0W3 · Harford County Airport, runway 01, 2,000 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 30, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 520 total · 204 in this make and model · 506 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- APG, 6 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.9 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.