- Date
- March 13, 2019, 22:15 local (Mar 14, 2019, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, FL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N220CMCessna 650
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20190314001369A
- Case key
- 99149
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 keep the airplane on the taxiway while taxiing at night. Contributing to the accident was a miscommunication between the flight crewmembers about the position of the airplane.
Findings · 3
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 after landing the airplane at night, the taxiway that he normally used was occupied, so he taxied toward the ramp via an alternate taxiway. As he approached the ramp, there were four or five airplanes on the ramp, and the pilot asked the copilot if the area was clear on the right side. The pilot was referring to the ground path, but the copilot thought he was referring to the other airplanes. When the copilot replied that they were clear, the pilot turned right. The airplane then exited the taxiway onto grass and the nosewheel struck concrete, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage structure above the nose landing gear. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On March 14, 2019, about 2215 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 650, N220CM, was substantially damaged during taxi at Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Orlando, Florida. The two airline transport pilots and two passengers were not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Yeager Airport (CRW), Charleston, West Virginia, about 2100. The pilot stated that after landing, the taxiway that he normally used had an airplane on it, so he taxied toward the ramp via an alternate taxiway. As he approached the ramp, there were four or five airplanes on the ramp and the pilot asked the copilot if the area was clear on the right side. The pilot was referring to the ground and the copilot thought he was referring to the other airplanes. When the copilot replied that they were clear, the pilot turned right. The airplane then exited the taxiway on to grass and the nosewheel struck concrete before the airplane came to rest. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the structure above the nose landing gear and the pressure bulkhead.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N220CM
- Reported as
- Cessna 650 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 650-0160
- Built
- 1988
- Airframe hours
- 9,655
- Engines
- Honeywell TFE-731, turbo fanHoneywell TFE-731, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rp Sales And Leasing Inc
- Registered owner
- Rp Sales And Leasing Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- CRW · Charleston, WV
- Destination
- SFB · Sanford, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SFB · Orlando Sanford International
- Equipment
- Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Electronic primary flight display
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 83
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 2, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 30,000 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 29,000 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 4, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,353 total · 261 in this make and model · 3,640 as pilot in command · 86 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- SFB
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 15, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.