- Date
- November 16, 2015, 18:35 local (Nov 17, 2015, 02:35 UTC)
- Place
- Portland, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N555RGPiper PA 31-350
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report April 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 92333
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 fuel truck driver to see and avoid the taxiing airplane.
Findings · 1
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 pilot reported that after landing during dark rainy night conditions, he exited the runway on taxiway E and contacted the ground controller. The controller instructed the pilot to taxi via E and E4 to the ramp. The pilot further reported that he proceeded to taxi south on E and made a left turn onto E4. On E4 the airplane's left wing was struck by a fuel truck. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. According to the local Police Department report, the fuel truck driver reported that he was driving on the south perimeter road and came to a stop at the stop sign for about 15 seconds. The driver continued to cross the intersection at about 5 miles per hour, and drove into the airplane. The fuel truck driver reported that he did not see the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after landing during dark rainy night conditions, he exited the runway on taxiway echo and contacted ground. Ground instructed the pilot to taxi via Echo and Echo 4 to the ramp. The pilot further reported that he proceeded to taxi south on Echo and made a left turn onto Echo 4. On Echo 4 the airplane's left wing was struck by a fuel truck. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. According to the local Police Department report, the fuel truck driver reported that he was driving on the south perimeter road, and came to a stop at the stop sign for about 15 seconds. The driver continued to cross the intersection at about 5 miles per hour, and drove into the airplane. The fuel truck driver further reported that he did not see the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N555RG
- Reported as
- Piper PA 31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-7305103
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 25,463.6
- Engines
- Lycoming TIO-540-J2B, 350 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming TIO-540-J2B, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Ameriflight LLC., doing business as Ameriflight
- Registered owner
- Uas Transervices Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 10, 2015
- Departed
- LMT · Klamath Falls, OR
- Destination
- PDX · Portland, OR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PDX · Portland Intl
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot
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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 10, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,012 total · 251 in this make and model · 1,916 as pilot in command · 177 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KPDX, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB in all.