- Date
- March 5, 2013, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Newnan, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N87172Engineering & Research Ercoupe 415-C
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130305004821A
- Case key
- 86358
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 proper visual lookout during taxi operations, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane.
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
According to the pilot, after landing the airplane, he taxied it to the general aviation tie-down area on the airport. The pilot stated that he normally taxied the airplane through the open space between the second and third tie-down rows on the ramp but that this space was occupied; therefore, he initiated a 180-degree turn to exit the row for an alternate tie-down location. The pilot stated that, during the turn, he misjudged the space needed to safely execute the maneuver and struck a parked airplane with his airplane's right wing tip. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing trailing edge section main spar attachment point and buckling of the right wing flap and tip. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, after landing he taxied the airplane to the general aviation tie down area on the airport. The pilot stated that he normally taxis the airplane through the open space between the second and third tie down rows on the ramp. The pilot's normal tie down space was occupied and he initiated a 180 degree turn to exit the row for an alternate tie down location. The pilot stated that during the turn, he misjudged the space needed to safely execute the maneuver and struck a parked airplane with his airplane's right wing tip. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the right wing trailing edge section main spar attachment point, buckling of the right wing flap, and right wing tip. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87172
- Reported as
- Engineering & Research Ercoupe 415-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 345
- Airframe hours
- 2,318
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C75 SERIES, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mallard William C
- Registered owner
- Mallard William C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 4, 2013 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- CCO · Newnan, GA
- Destination
- CCO · Newnan, GA
- Airport
- CCO · Newman Coweta County 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
- 85
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 18, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 429 total · 274 in this make and model · 380 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 11 knots
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Observed at
- KFFC, 10 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 22, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.8 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 N87172 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.