- Date
- March 13, 1999, 12:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Rubidoux, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N5346WPiper PA-28-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990313002239A
- Case key
- 45905
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 maintain adequate clearance from parked airplanes while taxiing due to his diverted attention.
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
According to the pilot, while taxiing for takeoff he became distracted with paperwork on the airplane's dashboard and failed to maintain an adequate clearance with other parked airplanes along the taxiway. The airplane's wing collided with three parked airplanes. In the pilot's completed report, he reported that the accident could have been prevented had he not diverted his attention while taxiing.
Factual narrative
On March 13, 1999, at 1215 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-150, N5346W, owned and operated by the pilot, collided with three parked airplanes while taxiing for takeoff at the uncontrolled Flabob Airport, Rubidoux, California. Neither the commercial pilot nor his three passengers were injured during the planned local area personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight which was being performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, while in the process of beginning an orientation flight for a youth group he became distracted with paperwork on the dashboard. His airplane's right wing impacted the unoccupied airplanes. In the pilot's completed report, he reported that the accident could have been prevented had he not diverted his attention while taxiing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5346W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-405
- Airframe hours
- 3,412
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald A. Moore
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 4, 1999 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- RIR
- Airport
- RIR · Flabob, runway 24, 3,200 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 82
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 509 total · 134 in this make and model · 494 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RAL, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5346W · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.