- Date
- January 3, 2023, 12:35 local (17:35 UTC)
- Place
- Opa-locka, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N2354ECessna 172N
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction
- 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
- 20230103002259A
- Case key
- 106551
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 flight instructor’s decision to taxi behind a large multi-engine airplane, which resulted in an encounter with propeller blast and a loss of airplane control on the ground.
Findings · 2
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 flight instructor reported that during the taxi for takeoff in a non-movement area, he and his student noticed a large multi-radial-engine airplane near their intended taxi route. The instructor told the student to deviate from the painted taxiway yellow line to provide for additional distance away from the prop wash behind the larger airplane. Subsequently, as their taxi continued behind the other airplane, the accident airplane started “violently shaking,” the right wing lifted, and the left wing contacted the taxiway surface. The nose also tipped forward, which resulted in the propeller striking the ground. The flight instructor shut off the engine, however, he estimated the airplane was pushed by the propeller blast an additional 100 ft further until eventually stopping upright on all three landing gear. The left wing sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot of the larger airplane, there had been delays for departure clearances and he had positioned his airplane into the wind while waiting, which resulted in the tail and the engines propeller blast oriented towards the taxiway the accident airplane taxied through. He stated that at the time that the event occurred, his airplane was at flight idle, and he was not performing a run-up. He did not know anything had happened to the accident airplane, until he heard of a propeller strike announced over the radio.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2354E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-72777
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 7,210
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Skyduo Flight Academy LLC., doing business as Skyduo Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- A&N Flight School Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 4, 2022
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- OPF · Miami-Opa Locka Exec
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 31, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 312 total · 275 in this make and model · 225 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 40 total · 40 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- OPF, 1 nm away
- METAR
- SPECI KOPF 031733Z 12014KT 10SM SCT027 BKN034 BKN043 28/21 A3015 RMK AO2 T02830206=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.6 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.