- Date
- November 4, 2007, 23:10 local (Nov 5, 2007, 04:10 UTC)
- Place
- Tuscaloosa, AL
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N980JHPiper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Birmingham FSDO-09
- Case key
- 67012
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 a visual look out while taxing resulting in an on-ground collision with a parked airplane.
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
The Piper pilot stated he received his instrument flight rules clearance from ground control, and was cleared to taxiway Foxtrot and Alpha en-route to runway 04 for takeoff. He taxied slowly on the taxiway centerline using the taxi and landing lights. The pilot noticed a parked airplane to his right and applied brakes. The airplane yawed to the left, and the right wing of the airplane collided with the left side of the fuselage of a parked Cessna Citation. The pilot stopped the airplane, notified ground control that he had collided with another airplane, and performed an engine shut down. The pilot exited the airplane and determined that both airplanes had received substantial damage.
Factual narrative
The Piper pilot stated he received his instrument flight rules clearance from ground control, and was cleared to taxiway Foxtrot and Alpha en-route to runway 04 for takeoff. He taxied slowly on the taxiway centerline using the taxi and landing lights. The pilot noticed a parked airplane to his right and applied brakes. The airplane yawed to the left, and the right wing of the airplane collided with the left side of the fuselage of a parked Cessna Citation. The pilot stopped the airplane, notified ground control that he had collided with another airplane, and performed an engine shut down. The pilot exited the airplane and determined that both airplanes had received substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N980JH
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-8052179
- Airframe hours
- 6,290
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Air Southeast Inc.
- Registered owner
- Air Southeast Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 1, 2007 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- KTCL · Tuscaloosa, AL
- Destination
- KRYY · Marietta, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KTCL · Tuscaloosa Regional Airport, runway 11, 4,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,720 total · 800 in this make and model · 7,250 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- TCL