- Date
- February 21, 2018, 21:20 local (Feb 22, 2018, 02:20 UTC)
- Place
- Brunswick, GA
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N410ERCessna 172N987TSDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 42
- Defining events
- Taxi: Ground collisionTaxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180221002981A
- Case key
- 96972
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 receiving instruction’s failure to see and avoid an airplane holding short of the runway on the taxiway and the flight instructor’s lack of situational awareness.
The pilot receiving instruction’s failure to see and avoid an airplane holding short of the runway on the taxiway and the flight instructor’s lack of situational awareness.
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.
N410ER · Cessna 172
N987TS · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 42
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.
N410ER · Cessna 172
N987TS · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 42
Analysis
The chief pilot of the flight school that operated the multi-engine airplane reported that the pilot receiving instruction was taxiing the airplane to the runway at the non-tower-controlled airport and was "heads-in" looking down and researching information on his iPad when he heard someone yell "stop". He quickly applied the brakes, but the airplane collided with an airplane stopped on the taxiway, holding short of the runway. The chief pilot further reported that the flight instructor was imputing radio frequencies and was unaware that the pilot was also looking inside the airplane. The instructor looked up just in time to hear the backseat passenger yell "stop" and see the collision. The safety coordinator of the flight school that operated the stopped airplane reported that, while holding short of the runway and performing the before takeoff checklist, the flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction felt a hard impact from the rear. The stopped airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. The safety coordinator and chief pilot both reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
The chief pilot of the flight school that operated the multi-engine airplane reported that the pilot receiving instruction was taxiing the airplane to the runway at the non-tower-controlled airport and was "heads-in" looking down and researching information on his iPad when he heard someone yell, "stop". He quickly applied the brakes, but the airplane collided with an airplane stopped on the taxiway, holding short of the runway. The chief pilot further reported that the flight instructor was imputing radio frequencies and was unaware that the pilot was also looking inside the airplane. The instructor looked up just in time to hear the backseat passenger yell "stop" and see the collision. The safety coordinator of the flight school that operated the stopped airplane reported that, while holding short of the runway and performing the before takeoff checklist, the flight instructor and pilot-receiving-instruction felt a hard impact from the rear. The stopped airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. The safety coordinator and chief pilot both reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The Chief Pilot of the flight school that operated the multi-engine airplane reported that the pilot-receiving-instruction was taxiing the airplane to runway at the non-tower-controlled airport and was "heads-in" looking down and researching information on his iPad when he heard someone yell, "Stop!". He quickly applied the brakes, but the airplane collided with an airplane stopped on the taxiway, holding short of the runway. The Chief Pilot further reported that the flight instructor was imputing radio frequencies and was unaware that the pilot was also looking inside the airplane. The instructor looked up just in time to hear the backseat passenger yell "stop," and see the collision. The Safety Coordinator of the flight school that operated the stopped airplane reported that, while holding short of the runway and performing the before takeoff checklist, the flight instructor and pilot-receiving-instruction felt a hard impact from the rear. The stopped airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. The Safety Coordinator and Chief Pilot both reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
The Chief Pilot of the flight school that operated the multi-engine airplane reported that the pilot-receiving-instruction was taxiing the airplane to runway at the non-tower-controlled airport and was "heads-in" looking down and researching information on his iPad when he heard someone yell, "Stop!". He quickly applied the brakes, but the airplane collided with an airplane stopped on the taxiway, holding short of the runway. The Chief Pilot further reported that the flight instructor was imputing radio frequencies and was unaware that the pilot was also looking inside the airplane. The instructor looked up just in time to hear the backseat passenger yell "stop," and see the collision. The Safety Coordinator of the flight school that operated the stopped airplane reported that, while holding short of the runway and performing the before takeoff checklist, the flight instructor and pilot-receiving-instruction felt a hard impact from the rear. The stopped airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. The Safety Coordinator and Chief Pilot both reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N410ER
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S11441
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 3,555.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Inc
- Registered owner
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 6, 2018
- Departed
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
- Destination
- SSI · Brunswick, GA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- SSI · Mckinnon St Simons Island
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display, Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display
- Registration
- N987TS
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 42 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 42.AC088
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 1,816.8
- Engines
- Thielert TAE125-02-99, 135 horsepower, reciprocatingThielert TAE125-02-99, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Falcon Aviation Academy LLC
- Registered owner
- Falcon Aviation Academy LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 14, 2018
- Departed
- CCO · Atlanta, GA
- Destination
- SSI · Brunswick, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SSI · Mckinnon St Simons Island
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display
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 · 4
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor, aircraft N410ER
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- September 29, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 396 total · 396 in this make and model · 326 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot, aircraft N410ER
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N987TS
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 20, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 271 total · 30 in this make and model
- Role
- Flight instructor, aircraft N987TS
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 22, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,145 total · 91 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.42 inHg
- Observed at
- KSSI
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 24, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.6 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.