- Date
- November 12, 2017, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N8515SCessna 182H
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171112018709A
- Case key
- 96348
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 use taxiways shown on the airport diagrams and his subsequent failure to avoid a ditch.
Findings · 3
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 he refueled his airplane, he was cleared by the tower controller to the runway. He added that, as he taxied west toward taxiway Delta, the asphalt was very rough, and he did not see the taxiway to his left nor the unmarked drainage ditch immediately in front of him. The airplane entered the ditch travelling about 5 knots. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the accident airport diagram revealed that the area around the ditch was not a depicted taxiway. Further review of satellite imagery revealed that there were two access points to taxiway Delta southwest of the refueling point.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after he refueled his airplane, he was cleared by the tower controller to runway 21. He added that as he taxied west toward taxiway delta, the asphalt was very rough, and he did not see the taxiway to his left, nor the unmarked drainage ditch immediately in front of him. The airplane entered the ditch travelling about 5 knots. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the accident airport diagram revealed that the area around the ditch was not a depicted taxi way. A further review of satellite imagery revealed that there were two access points to taxiway delta southwest of the refueling point.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8515S
- Reported as
- Cessna 182H (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18256615
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 4,000
- Engine
- Continental O470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 2, 2017
- Departed
- San Quintin
- Destination
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- TUS · Tucson Intl
- Equipment
- 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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 28, 2016
- Flight hours
- 2,290 total · 100 in this make and model · 2,031 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KTUS, 1 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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.