- Date
- June 28, 2001, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N311XMooney M20C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20010628015589A
- Case key
- 52597
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 airplane's collision with a perimeter roadway vehicular traffic sign due to the pilot's diverted attention and inadequate visual lookout while taxiing from landing. A contributing factor was the lack of sign conspicuity.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After landing, the pilot intended to taxi to a fixed base operator via an established taxiway. While proceeding toward the intended taxiway, the pilot redirected his attention toward military jet airplane traffic that was in front of him but proceeded in another direction. Thereafter, the pilot became confused regarding his position and turned onto a perimeter road believing that it was the intended taxiway. As the pilot proceeded on the road, he collided with the back side of an automotive traffic sign.
Factual narrative
On June 28, 2001, about 1330 hours mountain standard time, a Mooney M20C, N311X, owned and operated by the pilot, taxied into a motor vehicle traffic sign at the Tucson International Airport, Tucson, Arizona. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the commercial pilot was not injured. The personal flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the La Cholla Airpark, in Tucson, about 1300.
Information received from the Tucson airport police indicated that after the pilot landed he had intended to taxi to a fixed base operator via taxiway Delta. However, he became confused and turned onto a perimeter road, believing that it was the taxiway. As the pilot was proceeding on the road, he collided with the back side of a "yield" traffic sign. The pilot reported that just prior to the collision he had directed his attention toward military jet airplane traffic that was in front of him and proceeding away. He also indicated that the sign was small and inconspicuous.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N311X
- Reported as
- Mooney M20C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2592
- Airframe hours
- 3,357
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dale Hodgson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 14, 2000 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- 40E · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- TUS · Tucson International
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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 16, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,077 total · 265 in this make and model · 3,967 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 102 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- TUS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.