- Date
- May 4, 2015, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Roxboro, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N1102CCessna 177B
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150504007281A
- Case key
- 91160
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 monitor the airplane's movement and maintain control of the airplane.
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
After engine start up, the pilot reported that he and his passenger were focused on untangling their headsets. He stated they both were "heads down" for about 8 seconds and failed to notice the airplane moving forward. After rolling forward about 25 feet, the airplane struck an unoccupied airplane which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
After engine start up, the pilot reported that he and his passenger were focused on untangling their headsets. He stated they both were "heads down" for about 8 seconds and failed to notice the airplane moving forward. After rolling forward about 25 feet, the airplane struck an unoccupied airplane which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1102C
- Reported as
- Cessna 177B (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17702674
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 6,424
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Charlie Sarratt, doing business as SkySite Aerial
- Registered owner
- Zero Two Charlie LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 8, 2014
- Departed
- JNX · Smithfield, NC
- Destination
- TDF · Roxboro, NC
- Airport
- TDF · Person County
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 25, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 8,250 total · 64 in this make and model · 7,734 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KTDF
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 30, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 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.