ERA20CA243

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA28 · Greenwood, SC · June 7, 2020

Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · Data collectionFinal report
Date
June 7, 2020, 09:15 local (13:15 UTC)
Place
Greenwood, SC
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Taxi
Aircraft
N6958JPiper PA28
Defining event
Taxi: Ground collision
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20200607006612A
Case key
101572

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 adequate clearance from a parked airplane while taxiing. Contributing to the accident was the parked airplane's position over the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area.

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.

Wing structure: flight surfaces (wing)Aircraft › Aircraft structures · Damaged/degradedPiper PA-28-181: 1 caseAll aircraft: 20 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA-28-181: 53 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

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 student pilot, he landed and taxied back on the east/west parallel taxiway for a subsequent departure on the same runway to the west. The taxiway traversed an open parking ramp and as the airplane transitioned onto the ramp, an unidentified marshaller directed the airplane down a north/south taxiway that circumnavigated hangars on the south side of the airport. According to the pilot, airplanes were parked along both sides with many parked across the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area. The student pilot said he endeavored to keep the nose wheel on the taxiway centerline as he'd been taught to maintain clearance. While taxiing, the left wing of the airplane contacted a parked airplane, pivoted around the contact point, and struck the tail with the turning propeller. The accident airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to airport personnel, there was overwhelming response to a breakfast fly-in that morning that was neither NOTAMed nor anticipated, and overflow parking was not easily accommodated due to heavy rains and heavily soaked infield areas. Photos taken immediately after the accident depicted several airplanes parked over the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area.

Factual narrative

According to the student pilot, he landed and taxied back on the east/west parallel taxiway for a subsequent departure on the same runway to the west. The taxiway traversed an open parking ramp and as the airplane transitioned onto the ramp, an unidentified marshaller directed the airplane down a north/south taxiway that circumnavigated hangars on the south side of the airport. According to the pilot, airplanes were parked along both sides with many parked across the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area.The student pilot said he endeavored to keep the nose wheel on the taxiway centerline as he'd been taught to maintain clearance. While taxiing, the left wing of the airplane contacted a parked airplane, pivoted around the contact point, and struck the tail with the turning propeller. The accident airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to airport personnel, there was overwhelming response to a breakfast fly-in that morning that was neither NOTAMed nor anticipated, and overflow parking was not easily accommodated due to heavy rains and heavily soaked infield areas. Photos taken immediately after the accident depicted several airplanes parked over the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area.

Aircraft

Registration
N6958J
Reported as
Piper PA28 (181)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-7690441
Built
1976
Airframe hours
4,644
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · February 13, 2020
Departed
K3J7 · Greensboro, GA
Destination
GRD · Greenwood, SC
Airport
GRD · Greenwood County
Equipment
Unknown

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
Student pilot
Age
70
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
110 total · 110 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 72 °F
Altimeter
30.04 inHg
Observed at
KGRD

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, 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.