- Date
- October 29, 1990, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, OH
- Injuries
- 49 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19901029061481A19901029061482A
- Case key
- 36835
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
Failure by pilots of the other aircraft to see and alter taxi path to avoid the standing aircraft.
The DC-9 pilots failed to see the Cessna 310 and alter their taxi path to maintain clearance.
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
As the DC-9 approached taxiway C-4 the captain was advised by the first officer there was a airplane off to their eleven o'clock position. The captain applied brakes, but could not stop before hitting the vertical stabilizer of a Cessna 310. The DC-9 captain said he did not see any lights on the Cessna. The Cessna pilot said he was sitting in position to take the runway for about 3 minutes approximately 3 feet from the hold line with his rotating beacon and navigation lights on. The FAA determined the distance from the hold line on taxiway C-4 to the center line of the taxiway was 90'. Half the width of the DC-9 and the length of the Cessna, plus the 3 feet from the hold line (Cessna's position), left little room for separation of the airplanes.
As the DC-9 approached taxiway C-4 the captain was advised by the first officer there was a airplane off to their eleven o'clock position. The captain applied brakes, but could not stop before hitting the vertical stabilizer of a Cessna 310. The DC-9 captain said he did not see any lights on the Cessna. The Cessna pilot said he was sitting in position to take the runway for about 3 minutes approximately 3 feet from the hold line with his rotating beacon and navigation lights on. The FAA determined the distance from the hold line on taxiway C-4 to the center line of the taxiway was 90'. Half the width of the DC-9 and the length of the Cessna, plus the 3 feet from the hold line (Cessna's position), left little room for separation of the airplanes.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N972VJ
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-7A, 14,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Usair, doing business as Usair
- Destination
- EWR · Newark, NJ
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- Port Columbus, runway 10R
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
- N6160X
- Reported as
- Cessna 310
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-M1B, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- New Creation Inc, doing business as US Check
- Departed
- CMH
- Destination
- DAY · Dayton, OH
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- Port Columbus, runway 10R
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N972VJ
- Age
- 32
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 3,000 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N6160X
- Age
- 24
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 2,091 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CMH
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.