ERA13LA299

The pilot of the Pitts had landed his tailwheel-equipped airplane to the south on the grass runway and was taxiing toward the end of the runway, planning to take off again to the north. (Landing to the south and taking off to the north was common practice at the accident airport because of surrounding terrain.) However, while the pilot was taxiing, the Pitts’ propeller struck the left wing of another airplane that was stopped at the end of the runway to conduct before-takeoff checks. The Pitts pilot stated that he did not see the other airplane before the collision. He also did not note any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded his airplane’s normal operation.

The pilot of the Pitts had landed his tailwheel-equipped airplane to the south on the grass runway and was taxiing toward the end of the runway, planning to take off again to the north. (Landing to the south and taking off to the north was common practice at the accident airport because of surrounding terrain.) However, while the pilot was taxiing for takeoff, the Pitts’ propeller struck the left wing of another airplane that was stopped at the end of the runway to conduct before-takeoff checks. The Pitts pilot stated that he did not see the other airplane before the collision. He also did not note any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded his airplane’s normal operation.

On June 19, 2013, about 1745 eastern daylight time, a taxiing Pitts S-2B, N5314Y, sustained minor damage when it collided with a stopped Cessna 170, N2552V, which sustained substantial damage, at Mountain Air Park (0GE5), Cleveland, Georgia. Neither the private pilot in the Pitts, nor the airline transport pilot and passenger in the Cessna were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for either local flight, which were operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to a responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the air park had a single turf runway [with no taxiways], 17/35, that was 2,500 feet long and 200 feet wide. Due to terrain, the procedure was to take off from runway 35 and land on runway 17. According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped Pitts, he had landed on runway 17 and was taxiing toward the departure end of runway 35 when its propeller impacted the Cessna, which was stopped on one side for preflight checks. The pilot stated that he did not see the Cessna prior to the collision, which resulted in substantial damage to that airplane’s left wing forward spar. The pilot of the Pitts also did not note any preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures with it that would have precluded normal operation.

On June 19, 2013, about 1745 eastern daylight time, a taxiing Pitts S-2B, N5314Y, sustained minor damage when it collided with a stopped Cessna 170, N2552V, which sustained substantial damage, at Mountain Air Park (0GE5), Cleveland, Georgia. Neither the private pilot in the Pitts, nor the airline transport pilot and passenger in the Cessna were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for either local flight, which were operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to a responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the air park had a single turf runway [with no taxiways], 17/35, that was 2,500 feet long and 200 feet wide. Due to terrain, the procedure was to take off from runway 35 and land on runway 17. According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped Pitts, he had landed on runway 17 and was taxiing toward the departure end of runway 35 when its propeller impacted the Cessna, which was stopped on one side for preflight checks. The pilot stated that he did not see the Cessna prior to the collision, which resulted in substantial damage to that airplane’s left wing forward spar. The pilot of the Pitts also did not note any preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures with it that would have precluded normal operation.