# NTSB MIA02LA097: Cessna 206H, N24013, Sarasota, FL, May 22, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 22, 2002, 05:42 local (09:42 UTC) - Place: Sarasota, FL - Coordinates: 27.395277, -82.554168 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.3953&lon=-82.5542&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 28, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 54742 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA02LA097 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54742/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54742 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA097 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain compensation for surface wind conditions resulting in excessive taxi speed, a loss of control while taxiing, an excursion off the taxiway, collision with a concrete pad, and a nose over. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, taxi - to takeoff - compensation for wind conditions - not maintained, pilot in command - taxispeed - excessive, pilot in command - On ground/water collision with object, taxi - to takeoff - object - other - Nose over, taxi - to takeoff ## Analysis The pilot stated he was taxiing in a 10 knot tail wind in "pitch black" night conditions. An animal or lights off the left side of the aircraft distracted his attention. Near the end of the taxiway he left 102 feet of left main tire skid marks, (77 feet for right tire) prior to running into the grass, colliding with a concrete pad, shearing off the nose wheel, and sustaining a nose over. He was not injured. Postaccident examination by a mechanic revealed no evidence of preaccident brake abnormalities. The pilot stated to an FAA Inspector that he encountered no mechanical malfunctions during a post accident interview. ## Factual narrative On May 22, 2002, about 0542 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 206H, N24013, registered to Air Carriers, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight, sustained a taxi accident on the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport, Sarasota, Florida. Visual night meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan had been filed for Saint Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. The aircraft received substantial damage, and the airline transport-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was taxiing for takeoff when the accident occurred. According to the FAA Form 8020-9, "Aircraft Accident/Incident Preliminary Notice", that was sent from Sarasota tower personnel to the FAA, Tampa FSDO, the following was noted, "Pilot reported that he ran off the end of taxiway "D" due to excessive tailwind". According to the pilot's statement to the Manatee Airport Authority, he noticed an animal out of the corner of his eye and slammed on his brakes, causing him to lose control and leave the taxiway, hitting an electrical vat, and causing the aircraft to flip. According to the pilot's statement to the FAA, as he was taxiing southwest on taxiway "D" for takeoff from runway 04, he became distracted, (possibly by an animal that barely caught his eye off the left side of the aircraft) in the darkness, and missed the turn onto the runway. The aircraft ran off the end of the taxiway into the sand and grass airport infield area, the nose gear and propeller collided with a square concrete wiring junction box, and the aircraft sustained a nose over. The pilot said there were no mechanical malfunctions of his aircraft at the time of the accident interview. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot was taxiing down taxiway "D". There are tire skid marks where the taxiway starts to turn to the runway. The left main tire mark was measured at over 102 feet. The right main tire mark was measured at over 77 feet, and there are marks left by the nose wheel of over 68 feet. Following the excursion off the taxiway, the skid marks continue for another 29 feet until impact between the nose wheel and a concrete junction box, where the nose wheel was found separated from the nose gear strut. The aircraft was found inverted about a plane-length beyond the junction box, having flipped over 180 degrees, heading in the opposite direction from the original taxi direction. An FAA certified Aircraft Inspector examined the wreckage, post accident. Brake pad thickness measured over twice the minimum thickness required by Cessna maintenance specifications. There were no indications of hydraulic fluid leakage, except that the aircraft was still in an inverted position on a flat-bed trailer, and hydraulic fluid had leaked out of the master cylinders through the vent holes. According to the pilot's written statement sent to the NTSB, he was taxiing the aircraft to runway 04 on taxiway "D" at a normal taxi speed, and as he approached the hold short line to runway 04, he applied brakes, but the brakes grabbed, and the aircraft did not decelerate. The aircraft exited the taxiway into the grass, made contact with the cement slab, pitched down, and had just enough energy to flip inverted. During a subsequent telephone conversation with the NTSB on June 12, 2002, the pilot stated that he was, "going fast" and that he, "might have unconsciously picked up speed because [his direction of taxi was] directly downwind, and it was pitch black." He further mentioned being distracted by either an animal or lights to his left about 200 yards. That location would have corresponded to the ramp area and terminal across runway 04, and the pilot mentioned observing an aircraft in that area being either catered or loaded. He stated his scheduled departure time was 0530 and that engine start was 0538 for the empty ferry flight to Saint Petersburg-Clearwater. He stated the taxiways were not particularly wet, as with morning dew. The reported surface winds at 0553 for the airport were from 030 degrees at 10 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N24013](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N24013-2007-05-23), registration cancelled 2007-05-23, S/N 20608087, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 206H - Registry model: [Cessna 206H](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-206h) (registry code 2073301) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 20608087 - Airframe hours: 1838 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-AC1A5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Registered owner: Air Carriers, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, April 19, 2002, 74 hours before - Departed: SRQ, Sarasota, FL - Destination: PIE, St. Petersburg, FL - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: KSRQ, Sarasota-Bradenton Internation ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; injuries: none; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review October 6, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 2,517 total, 104 in this make and model, 2,397 as pilot in command, 281 in the last 90 days, 131 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 30° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Observed at: SRQ, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020522014169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020522014169A), May 22, 2002: Cessna 206H, Sarasota-Braden, FL, Substantial damage. (-23) The pilot was taxiing down taxiway 'd'. There are tire skid marks where the taxiway starts to turn to the runway. The left main was measured at over 102… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54742. 619 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 263 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40440267&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - FAA Preliminary Notice (item 2, .PDF, 53 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40440268&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Preliminary%20Notice-Redacted.PDF - FAA ROC Preliminary Notice of Accident (item 3, .PDF, 51 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40164115&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20ROC%20Preliminary%20Notice%20of%20Accident-Master.PDF - Manatee County Airport Authority Incident Report (item 4, .PDF, 64 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40440269&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Manatee%20County%20Airport%20Authority%20Incident%20Report-Redacted.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement (item 5, .PDF, 83 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40440270&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Transcript of Telephone Communication (item 6, .PDF, 69 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40440271&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Transcript%20of%20Telephone%20Communication-Redacted.PDF - Mechanic's Report (item 7, .PDF, 37 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40440272&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Mechanic%27s%20Report-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.