- Date
- March 11, 1998, 19:40 local (Mar 12, 1998, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Tyler, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N730CFairchild SA227-AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980311011129I
- Case key
- 20555
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 failure of the golf cart's driver to shutdown the engine and set the parking brake before exiting, which resulted in an unmanned runaway cart.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
At night, while taxiing to parking after landing, an unmanned runaway golf cart being used as a lead-in vehicle, collided with the airplane. Witnesses observed the golf cart's driver get out of the cart and the cart continue moving. The driver attempted to stop the cart; however, she was unsuccessful. The cart circled an aircraft 2 or 3 times then veered off and ricocheted off a fence. The pilots reported that they were approximately 50 feet from their intended stopping point, when they observed a golf cart that appeared to be paralleling the fence. At that time they did not perceive it as a hazard. The golf cart then made an 'immediate' change of direction and headed towards their aircraft. After the cart made the change of direction, the pilots observed that the cart was unmanned. They immediately initiated emergency shutdown procedures; however, the cart collided with the left engine's propeller before it could be shutdown.
Factual narrative
On March 11, 1998, at 1940 central standard time, a Fairchild SA227-AC airplane, N730C, registered to Sterling Credit Corporation and operated by Austin Express as Flight 215, was substantially damage while taxiing at the Tyler Pounds Field Airport near Tyler, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR plan was filed for the scheduled Title 14 CFR Part 121 night flight. The airline transport rated captain, first officer, and sole passenger were not injured. The flight departed Austin, Texas, about 53 minutes prior to the accident.
A golf cart being used as a lead-in vehicle, was operating in vicinity of the aircraft. According to witnesses, the golf cart's driver got out of the cart and the cart continued moving. The driver attempted to stop the cart; however, she was unsuccessful. The cart circled an aircraft 2 or 3 times then veered off and collided with a fence. It ricocheted off the fence, and headed towards the taxiing aircraft and collided with its left propeller.
The pilots of the taxiing aircraft reported that after landing they were proceeding to the Austin Express gate. When they were approximately 50 feet from their intended stopping point, they observed a golf cart on Tyler Jets property that appeared to be paralleling the fence. At that time they did not perceive it as a hazard. The golf cart then made an "immediate" change of direction and headed towards their aircraft. After the cart made the change of direction, the pilots observed that the cart was unmanned. They immediately initiated emergency shutdown procedures; however, the cart collided with the left engine's propeller before it could be shutdown.
Examination of the aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed that the left propeller was damaged, and 10 square feet of fuselage dented. Further examination of the dent by the operator revealed that stringers and longerons needed replacement.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N730C
- Reported as
- Fairchild SA227-AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AC-697
- Airframe hours
- 14,609
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-11, 1,000 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Austin Express
- Registered owner
- Sterling Credit Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 5, 1998 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- AUS · Austin, TX
- Destination
- TYR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- TYR · Tyler Pounds Field
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,200 total · 2,600 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 160 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TYR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.