- Date
- December 3, 2012, 15:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- Knoxville, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N44PABeech F90
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Airport occurrence
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20121203028739A
- Case key
- 85746
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 pilots’ decision to maneuver the airplane in close proximity to a hangar.
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
At the conclusion of an evaluation flight, the left seat pilot taxied the airplane to the hangar area under the direction of the right seat pilot. After reaching the hangar area, the left seat pilot initiated a 180-degree turn in order to better position the airplane for postflight ground handling. During the turn, the right side of the horizontal stabilizer struck one of the hangar’s support beams, resulting in substantial damage to the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, as well as the empennage. Following the accident, the operator instituted a new policy, which stated that an external spotter should be used when maneuvering in the vicinity of obstacles.
Factual narrative
At the conclusion of an evaluation flight, the left seat pilot taxied the airplane to the hangar area under the direction of the right seat pilot. After reaching the hangar area, the left seat pilot initiated a 180-degree turn in order to better position the airplane for post-flight ground handling. During the turn, the right side of the horizontal stabilizer struck one of the hangar’s support beams, resulting in substantial damage to the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, as well as the empennage. Following the accident, the operator instituted a new policy dictating that they will utilize the aid of an external spotter when maneuvering in the vicinity of obstacles.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44PA
- Reported as
- Beech F90
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LA-149
- Airframe hours
- 8,714
- Engines
- Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-135, 750 horsepower, turbo propU/A Canada PT6A SERIES, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Grande Aviation
- Registered owner
- Sassafras Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 11, 2012
- Departed
- 2A0 · Dayton, TN
- Destination
- TYS · Knoxville, TN
- Airport
- TYS · McGhee Tyson Airport
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 30, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,879 total · 2 in this make and model · 2,811 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 12, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,684 total · 330 in this make and model · 5,624 as pilot in command · 151 in the last 90 days · 48 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- TYS
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.