- Date
- December 18, 2017, 11:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Defining events
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collisionTaxi-from runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA reports
- 20171218023971A20171218023272A
- Case key
- 96501
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 see and avoid another airplane stopped on the taxiway while taxiing in sun glare conditions.
The other pilot’s failure to see and avoid another airplane parked on the taxiway while taxiing in sun glare conditions.
Findings · 6
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.
N61SR · Maule MX7
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.
N61SR · Maule MX7
N1562A · Piper PA 20
Analysis
The airplane pilot reported that, while taxiing from the runway to his tie-down space, he was taxiing "into the sun." He added that, before he could react, he struck the tail of another airplane, which was stopped on the taxiway. The pilot of the stopped airplane reported to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he was planning to depart and had stopped on the taxiway to put on his seat belt when his airplane was struck from behind. The taxiing airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut; the stopped airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
The airplane pilot reported that, while taxiing from the runway to his tie-down space, he was taxiing "into the sun." He added that, before he could react, he struck the tail of another airplane, which was stopped on the taxiway. The pilot of the stopped airplane reported to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he was planning to depart and had stopped on the taxiway to put on his seat belt when his airplane was struck from behind. The taxiing airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut; the stopped airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the Piper airplane reported that, while taxiing from the runway to his tie-down space, he was taxiing "into the sun". He added that, before he could react, he struck the tail of a Maule airplane, which was stopped on the taxiway. The pilot of the Maule airplane reported to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he was planning to depart and had stopped on the taxiway to put on his seat belt, when his airplane was struck from behind. The Piper sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut; the Maule sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The Piper and Maule pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot of the Piper airplane reported that, while taxiing from the runway to his tie-down space, he was taxiing "into the sun". He added that, before he could react, he struck the tail of a Maule airplane, which was stopped on the taxiway. The pilot of the Maule airplane reported to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he was planning to depart and had stopped on the taxiway to put on his seat belt, when his airplane was struck from behind. The Piper sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut; the Maule sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The Piper and Maule pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N61SR
- Reported as
- Maule MX7 (180A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20016C
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 3,800
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 24, 2017
- Departed
- UUO · Willow, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- UUO · Willow
- 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.
- Registration
- N1562A
- Reported as
- Piper PA 20 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-768
- Built
- 1954
- Airframe hours
- 3,326.33
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 2, 2017
- Departed
- Trail Lake, AK
- Destination
- UUO · Willow, AK
- Airport
- UUO · Willow
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- Pilot, aircraft N61SR
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N1562A
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 16, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 719.2 total · 356.2 in this make and model · 615.7 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 1.5 in the last 30 days · 0.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 18 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 26, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.9 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.