GAA18CA198

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172 · Brunswick, GA · February 22, 2018

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
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

Attention/monitoring: monitoring other aircraftPersonnel issues › Psychological · Pilot of other aircraftAll aircraft: 231 casesProbable cause
Attention/monitoring: task monitoring/vigilancePersonnel issues › Psychological · Pilot of other aircraftAll aircraft: 330 casesProbable cause
Perception/orientation/illusion: situational awarenessPersonnel issues › Psychological · Pilot of other aircraftAll aircraft: 111 casesProbable cause

N987TS · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 42

Perception/orientation/illusion: situational awarenessPersonnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilotDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 42: 1 caseAll aircraft: 111 casesProbable cause
Attention/monitoring: monitoring other aircraftPersonnel issues › Psychological · Student/instructed pilotDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 42: 1 caseAll aircraft: 231 casesProbable cause
Attention/monitoring: task monitoring/vigilancePersonnel issues › Psychological · Student/instructed pilotDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 42: 2 casesAll aircraft: 330 casesProbable cause

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.