# NTSB ERA20LA247: Cessna 172, N5280D, Fort Lauderdale, FL, July 13, 2020

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: July 13, 2020, 11:46 local (15:46 UTC)
- Place: Fort Lauderdale, FL · Intersection of taxiways echo and charlie, FXE
- Coordinates: 26.198333, -80.163055 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.1983&lon=-80.1631&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining events: [Taxi-to runway: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200); [Taxi-to runway: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 101588
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA20LA247
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101588/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101588
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA247

## Probable cause (aircraft 1)

The failure of both pilots to see and avoid each other while taxiing, which resulted in a ground collision. Contributing to the accident was the tower controller’s failure to provide information to each pilot regarding the position and intention of the other pilot.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Communication (personnel): lack of communication](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510): Personnel issues › Task performance · ATC personnel, aircraft 1; cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 84 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510/cases.md)
- [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot, aircraft 1; cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot, aircraft 1; cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md)
- [Communication (personnel): lack of communication](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510): Personnel issues › Task performance · ATC personnel, aircraft 2; cases with it: [Britten-Norman BN-2A-27, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510/cases.md?model=1520227), [All aircraft, 84 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510/cases.md)
- [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot of other aircraft, aircraft 2; cases with it: [Britten-Norman BN-2A-27, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=1520227), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot of other aircraft, aircraft 2; cases with it: [Britten-Norman BN-2A-27, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=1520227), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Taxi-to runway: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event), aircraft 1; cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 23 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md)
- [Taxi-to runway: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event), aircraft 2; cases with it: [Britten-Norman BN-2A-27, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md?model=1520227), [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md)

## Analysis (aircraft 1)

The pilots of a single-engine airplane and a multiengine airplane were both cleared to taxi to the runway within 2 minutes of each other; however, the tower controller did not provide either pilot with information regarding the position or taxi intentions of the other pilot as required. The two airplanes converged at a taxiway intersection, resulting in substantial damage to both. Both pilots reported that they were unaware of the proximity of the other airplane and did not see the other airplane before the collision. A review of airport surveillance video indicated that the pilot of the single-engine airplane was approaching the multiengine airplane from its right, rear quadrant at a higher taxi speed. The video also indicated that the multiengine airplane appeared to be within the single-engine airplane pilot’s field of view before the collision, and if the pilot had been properly scanning for traffic, the collision likely would have been averted. The pilot of the multiengine airplane reported that a blind spot from his right engine and wing obscured the path of the other airplane. It is also likely that, had the controller provided information to each pilot regarding the position and intentions of the other pilot, they would have exercised greater vigilance regarding scanning for traffic.

## Factual narrative (aircraft 1)

On July 13, 2020, at 1146 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S (Skyhawk), N5280D, and a Britten Norman BN-2A-27 (Islander), N200MU, were substantially damaged when they were involved in an accident at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The pilot of the Skyhawk and the pilot of the Islander were not injured. The Skyhawk was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight and the Islander was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air taxi cargo flight. According to recorded voice communications provided by Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport Traffic Control Tower (FXE ATCT), at 1142, the pilot of the Islander requested taxi clearance from the kilo ramp for a visual flight rules (VFR) departure to the east. At 1143, the tower controller instructed the pilot of the Islander to taxi to runway 27 via taxiways bravo, echo, and charlie with authorization to cross runway 31. The pilot of the Islander acknowledged and repeated the clearance. At 1144, the pilot of the Skyhawk requested taxi clearance from the customs ramp for a VFR departure. The tower controller instructed the pilot of the Skyhawk to taxi to runway 27 via taxiways golf and charlie. The pilot of the Skyhawk acknowledged and repeated the clearance. At 1146, the pilot of the Islander reported that there had been a collision with a Cessna at the intersection of taxiways charlie and echo. The pilot of the Skyhawk then reported to tower that we “hit our wings together.” Figure 1 shows a diagram of the taxi routes and collision location. Figure 1: Taxi routes of both aircraft and other pertinent airfield information overlaid on satellite imagery A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responded to the accident site and documented the damage to both airplanes. The collision occurred at the intersection of taxiways charlie and echo, where taxiway echo converged into charlie at an angle of about 45°. He reported that there was substantial damage to the left wing of the Skyhawk and to the right wing of the Islander. Airport surveillance video that captured the collision revealed that the Skyhawk appeared to be taxiing at a faster speed than the Islander. No radar or automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast data were available to confirm taxi speeds. Both pilots reported that they did not see the other airplane before the collision. The pilot of the Islander reported that the Skyhawk approached from behind and to his right, and a blind spot existed due to the location of the right engine nacelle, propeller, spinner, and landing gear. The surveillance video appeared to indicate that the Islander would have been visible within the Skyhawk pilot’s field of view before the collision. Review of the recorded air traffic control tower communications revealed that the controller did not provide either pilot with information regarding the position or taxi intentions of the other pilot, contrary to FAA Order JO 7110.65Y (3-1-6, Traffic Information).

## Aircraft 1

- Registration: [N5280D](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5280D), registered now, S/N 172S9212, built 2002 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 172 (S)
- Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-L2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (registry code 41597, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 172S9212
- Year built: 2002
- Airframe hours: 11447
- Engines: Lycoming IO-360-L2A 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, February 7, 2020, 90 hours before
- Destination: PMP, Pompano Beach, FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Airport: FXE, Ft Lauderdale Executive
- Equipment: ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system

## Aircraft 2

- Registration: [N200MU](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N200MU), registered now, S/N 78, built 1971 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Britten Norman BN2A (27)
- Registry model: [Britten-Norman BN-2A-27](https://openairdocs.org/model/britten-norman-bn-2a-27) (registry code 1520227) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (registry code 41532, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 78
- Year built: 1971
- Airframe hours: 18762
- Engines: Lycoming O-540-E4C5 260 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming O-540-E4C5 260 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: Tropic Air Charters
- Registered owner: Islander Holding Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: AAIP, July 10, 2020, 0 hours before
- Departed: FXE, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Destination: MYAM, Marsh Harbour, OF
- Flight plan: VFR
- Airport: FXE, Ft Lauderdale Executive
- Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B, Handheld GPS

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot, aircraft N5280D; age 42; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 28, 2020; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 1,235 total, 550 in this make and model, 962 as pilot in command, 60 in the last 90 days, 34 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours
- Pilot, aircraft N200MU; age 38; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; last flight review December 7, 2019; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 5,324 total, 3,888 in this make and model, 4,960 as pilot in command, 16 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: KFXE

## FAA reports on this event (2)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20200713008492A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200713008492A), Jul 13, 2020: Cessna 172S, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Substantial damage. When: July 13, 2020 1546 zulu Where: Cessna 172S, registration N5280D with one person on board taxiing from the customs facility to taxiway c at Fort…
- [Accident 20200713008502A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200713008502A), Jul 13, 2020: Britten-Norman BN-2A-27, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Substantial damage. When: July 13, 2020 1546 zulu Where: Cessna 172S, registration N5280D with one person on board taxiing from the customs facility to taxiway c at Fort…

## Other investigations on N5280D (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA04CA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA04CA077), Apr 17, 2004: Cessna 172S (N5280D), Key West, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing in gusty wind conditions which resulted in the airplane departing the runway and impacting a sign, incurring damage.

## Docket (11 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 14, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101588. 146 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (N200MU) (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 9.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11371568&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=1%206120%20N200MU_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (N5280D) (item 2, PDF, 9 pages, 5.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11370777&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=2%206120%20N5280D_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- FAA correspondence with pilot of N5280D (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 696 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11371290&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=3%20Correspondence%20with%20Pilot%20of%20N5280D_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspector statement (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 55 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11371690&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=4%20FAA%20Inspector%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photo array (item 5, PDF, 5 pages, 469 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13915943&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf
- Accident diagram (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11371578&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=5%20Accident%20Diagram-Rel.pdf
- Fxe airport diagram (item 7, PDF, 1 page, 122 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11370787&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6%20FXE%20Airport%20Diagram-Rel.pdf
- Airport surveillance video (item 8, 3GP, 517 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11371300&FileExtension=3gp&FileName=7%20FXE%20Surveillance%20Video-Rel.3gp
- ATC specialists factual report (item 9, PDF, 5 pages, 456 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13886843&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA20LA247%20-%20ATC%20Specialists%20Report%20-%20FINAL-Rel.pdf
- ATC specialists factual report - attachment 1 - ATC partial audio transcript (item 10, PDF, 3 pages, 67 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13886610&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA20LA247%20-%20Attachment%201%20-%20ATC%20Partial%20Transcript%20-%20FINAL-Rel.pdf
- ATC audio (item 11, WAV, 126 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12392358&FileExtension=wav&FileName=FXE%207-13-2020%20GC-FD-CD%20(1)-Rel.wav

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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