- Date
- February 12, 2016, 14:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Paula, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Defining events
- Taxi: Ground collisionTaxi-from runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Van Nuys FSDO (FAA)
- FAA reports
- 20160212001932A20160212001922A
- Case key
- 92724
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 tailwheel pilot's failure to see and avoid a stationary airplane performing a run-up, which resulted in a ground collision.
Findings · 5
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.
N704SL · Cessna 150
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.
N704SL · Cessna 150
N57BC · Aviat S-2
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, "Due to the restricted visibility from the rear cockpit," he "failed to the see the C-150 that stopped on the taxiway." Subsequently, the propeller of the tailwheel airplane impacted the vertical stabilizer of a stationary Cessna airplane. The student pilot of the Cessna airplane reported that he was preparing for the engine run-up and never saw the tailwheel airplane until after the collision. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer of the Cessna airplane. The pilot of the tailwheel airplane and the student pilot of the Cessna airplane reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, "Due to the restricted visibility from the rear cockpit," he "failed to the see the C-150 that stopped on the taxiway." Subsequently, the propeller of the tailwheel airplane impacted the vertical stabilizer of a stationary Cessna airplane. The student pilot of the Cessna airplane reported that he was preparing for the engine run-up and never saw the tailwheel airplane until after the collision. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer of the Cessna airplane. The pilot of the tailwheel airplane and the student pilot of the Cessna airplane reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N704SL
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15078837
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 15,058
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- CP Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- CP Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 2, 2015
- Departed
- SZP · Santa Paula, CA
- Destination
- SZP · Santa Paula, CA
- Airport
- SZP · Santa Paula
- Equipment
- None
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.
- Registration
- N57BC
- Reported as
- Aviat S-2 (C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6042
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 1,109.7
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming AEIO-540-04AS, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cornick, William E. Trustee
- Registered owner
- Cornick, William E. Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 22, 2015
- Departed
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- Destination
- SZP · Santa Paula, CA
- Airport
- SZP · Santa Paula
- Equipment
- 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot, aircraft N704SL
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 45 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N57BC
- Age
- 83
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- October 24, 2015
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 25,104 total · 3,675 in this make and model · 15,696 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- CMA, 8 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 24, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.