GAA19CA079

NTSB accident investigation · Pilatus PC12 · Mesa, AZ · November 28, 2018

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
November 28, 2018, 08:50 local (15:50 UTC)
Place
Mesa, AZ
Injuries
7 uninjured
Phase of flight
Taxi
Aircraft
N552TCPilatus PC12N976SPCessna 172
Defining events
Taxi-to runway: Ground collisionTaxi-from runway: Ground collision
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 3, 2020
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
Case key
98699

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The other pilot's failure to follow the air traffic controller’s instructions and his subsequent failure to maintain adequate lookout to see and avoid the other airplane on the taxiway.

The pilot's failure to follow the air traffic controller’s instructions and his subsequent failure to maintain adequate lookout to see and avoid the other airplane on the taxiway.

Findings · 8

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.

N552TC · Pilatus PC12

Action: lack of actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotPilatus PC-12/45: 4 casesAll aircraft: 792 casesProbable cause
Object/animal/substance: aircraftEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operationPilatus PC-12/45: 1 caseAll aircraft: 116 casesProbable cause

N976SP · Cessna 172

Attention/monitoring: monitoring other aircraftPersonnel issues › Psychological · Pilot of other aircraftCessna 172S: 12 casesAll aircraft: 231 casesProbable cause
Object/animal/substance: airport structureEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operationCessna 172S: 1 caseAll aircraft: 50 casesProbable cause
Action: lack of actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot of other aircraftCessna 172S: 14 casesAll aircraft: 792 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.

N552TC · Pilatus PC12

N976SP · Cessna 172

Analysis

The pilot of the Pilatus reported that, after the local air traffic controller gave him an instrument flight rules clearance, he taxied the airplane from the ramp to the taxiway. While turning onto the taxiway, the controller instructed him to give way to an airplane on the same taxiway. He acknowledged the instruction; stopped the airplane; looked left and saw a Cessna, which had already passed him. He then looked right and did not see any other airplanes on the taxiway and continued to taxi. Shortly after, he realized that the airplane's propeller had struck something, so he immediately shut down the engine, deplaned, and realized that he had struck another Cessna that he had not seen. The flight instructor in the Cessna that was struck reported that, while the student pilot was taxiing back to the ramp, they were instructed by the local air traffic controller to follow company traffic while passing another airplane to their left. He then looked left outside of the window and saw a spinning propeller moving toward the airplane. He immediately grabbed the controls and hammered the right pedal, but the other airplane's propeller struck their airplane's left wing. The Pilatus sustained damage to the propeller. The Cessna sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot and the flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation. A video provided by the airport authority showed that the Pilatus taxied left onto the taxiway from the ramp without stopping and that there was another airplane farther down the taxiway.

The pilot of the Pilatus reported that, after the local air traffic controller gave him an instrument flight rules clearance, he taxied the airplane from the ramp to the taxiway. While turning onto the taxiway, the controller instructed him to give way to an airplane on the same taxiway. He acknowledged the instruction; stopped the airplane; looked left and saw a Cessna, which had already passed him. He then looked right and did not see any other airplanes on the taxiway and continued to taxi. Shortly after, he realized that the airplane's propeller had struck something, so he immediately shut down the engine, deplaned, and realized that he had struck another Cessna that he had not seen. The flight instructor in the Cessna reported that, while the student pilot was taxiing back to the ramp, they were instructed by the local air traffic controller to follow company traffic while passing another airplane to their left, "holding" short of the same taxiway. He then looked left outside of the window and saw a spinning propeller moving closer toward the airplane. He immediately grabbed the controls and hammered the right pedal, but the other airplane's propeller struck their airplane's left wing. The Pilatus sustained damage to the propeller. The Cessna sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot and the flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their airplanes that would have precluded normal operation. A video provided by the airport authority showed that the Pilatus taxied left onto the taxiway from the ramp without stopping and that there was another airplane farther down the taxiway.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the Pilatus reported that after he received his IFR clearance from the local air traffic controller, he taxied from the ramp to the taxiway. While turning onto the taxiway, he was further instructed by the controller to give way to an airplane on the same taxiway. He acknowledged the instruction, "stopped" the airplane, looked left and saw a Cessna, which already passed him, so he looked right, did not see any other airplanes on the taxiway and continued to taxi. Shortly after, he realized that the propellers struck something, so he immediately shut down the airplane, deplaned, and realized that he struck another Cessna he did not see. The flight instructor in the Cessna reported that, while the student pilot was taxiing back to the ramp, they were instructed by the local air traffic controller to follow company traffic while passing another airplane, to their left, "holding" short of the same taxiway. He then looked left outside of his window and saw a spinning propeller moving closer towards the airplane. He immediately grabbed the controls and hammered the right pedal, but the propeller of the other airplane struck their airplane's left wing. The Pilatus sustained damage to the propellers. The Cessna sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot and the flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their airplanes that would have precluded normal operation. A video provided by the airport authority showed that the Pilatus taxied left on to the taxiway from the ramp without stopping. It also showed that there was another airplane, further down the taxiway.

The pilot of the Pilatus reported that after he received his IFR clearance from the local air traffic controller, he taxied from the ramp to the taxiway. While turning onto the taxiway, he was further instructed by the controller to give way to an airplane on the same taxiway. He acknowledged the instruction, "stopped" the airplane, looked left and saw a Cessna, which already passed him, so he looked right, did not see any other airplanes on the taxiway and continued to taxi. Shortly after, he realized that the propellers struck something, so he immediately shut down the airplane, deplaned, and realized that he struck another Cessna he did not see. The flight instructor in the Cessna reported that, while the student pilot was taxiing back to the ramp, they were instructed by the local air traffic controller to follow company traffic while passing another airplane, to their left, "holding" short of the same taxiway. He then looked left outside of his window and saw a spinning propeller moving closer towards the airplane. He immediately grabbed the controls and hammered the right pedal, but the propeller of the other airplane struck their airplane's left wing. The Pilatus sustained damage to the propellers. The Cessna sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot and the flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their airplanes that would have precluded normal operation. A video provided by the airport authority showed that the Pilatus taxied left on to the taxiway from the ramp without stopping. It also showed that there was another airplane, further down the taxiway.

Aircraft · 2

Registration
N552TC
Reported as
Pilatus PC12 (45)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
443
Built
2002
Engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B, 1,200 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Minor damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Daylight Nightlight Ez Flight Llc
Registered owner
Daylight Nightlight Ez Flight Llc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 18, 2018 · 3,272 hours before
Departed
IWA · Mesa, AZ
Destination
MRY · Monterey, CA
Flight plan
Unknown
Airport
IWA · Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, runway 12R, 10,401 × 150 ft, concrete
Equipment
Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Data recorder, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction 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.

Registration
N976SP
Reported as
Cessna 172 (S)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
172S8198
Built
1999
Airframe hours
10,630.1
Engine
Lycoming IO360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Atp Aircraft 4 Llc
Registered owner
Atp Aircraft 4 Llc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · November 19, 2018
Departed
IWA · Mesa, AZ
Destination
IWA · Mesa, AZ
Airport
IWA · Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, runway 12R, 10,401 × 150 ft, concrete
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 · 3

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot, aircraft N552TC
Age
37
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Flight hours
4,439 total · 2,187 in this make and model · 4,109 as pilot in command
Role
Flight instructor, aircraft N976SP
Age
28
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Right
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
474.3 total · 234.3 in this make and model · 260.2 as pilot in command · 96 in the last 90 days · 74.3 in the last 30 days · 1.7 in the last 24 hours
Role
Student pilot, aircraft N976SP
Age
26
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
1.7 total · 1.7 in this make and model · 1.7 in the last 90 days · 1.7 in the last 30 days · 1.7 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
130° at 5 knots
Visibility
45 statute miles
Temperature
52 °F, dew point 30 °F
Altimeter
29.98 inHg
Observed at
KIWA, 1 nm away

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 19, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.