# NTSB SEA01LA065: Piper J3C-65, N30616, Seattle, WA, March 17, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 17, 2001, 15:27 local (23:27 UTC) - Place: Seattle, WA - Coordinates: 47.539688, -122.309555 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.5397&lon=-122.3096&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 17, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - Seattle FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 51964 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA01LA065 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/51964/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA01LA065 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to visually detect the barricade, resulting in a collision with the barricade. Factors included the barricade, and inadequate information on the ATIS broadcast. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - On ground/water collision with object, taxi - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command - visual/aural detection, pilot in command (cause) - object - wall/barricade (contributing factor) - meteorological services,atis - inadequate (contributing factor) - Gear collapsed, taxi ## Analysis The pilot reported that he listened to the airport's Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) prior to landing. After landing and turning onto a parallel taxiway, the aircraft ran over a 10-foot-long horizontal barricade, which was "sitting in [the] taxiway" approximately perpendicular to the taxiway centerline. The pilot, who was seated in the rear seat of the tailwheel-equipped aircraft (as required for solo flight for the type) at the time, reported that he was doing "S" turns for taxi visibility, but that the barricade was obstructed from view by the nose of the aircraft. Upon striking the barricade, the aircraft's left main gear collapsed and the left wing dropped, striking another barricade. The pilot stated that the presence and location of the barricade were not announced on ATIS. On-site investigation disclosed that the barricade extended to within two to three feet of the yellow taxiway centerline. Review of a re-recording of ATIS disclosed that ATIS announced closure of several taxiways, but did not indicate that barricades were in place on the parallel taxiway. ## Factual narrative On March 17, 2001, approximately 1527 Pacific standard time, a Piper J3C-65, N30616, was substantially damaged when it struck a barricade during taxi from landing at Boeing Field/King County International Airport, Seattle, Washington. The private pilot-in-command, who was the airplane's sole occupant, was not injured in the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR 91 local personal flight. The pilot reported that he listened to the airport's Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) prior to landing. He stated that he subsequently landed, exited runway 13R at taxiway A4, was cleared across runway 13L, and contacted ground control for taxi clearance. The pilot stated that he was cleared to taxi to northeast parking. He stated that he turned north on the taxiway and ran over the 10-foot-long horizontal barricade, which was "sitting in [the] taxiway" approximately perpendicular to the taxiway centerline. The pilot, who was seated in the rear seat of the tailwheel-equipped aircraft (as required for solo flight for the type) at the time, reported that he was doing "S" turns for taxi visibility, but that the barricade was obstructed from view by the nose of the aircraft. Upon striking the barricade, the aircraft's left main gear collapsed and the left wing dropped, striking another barricade. The pilot stated that the presence and location of the barricade were not announced on ATIS and that ground control also did not advise him of the barricade. An on-site investigation by an FAA inspector disclosed that the barricade was located on the taxiway on the northern side of the intersection with closed taxiway A3, extending to within two to three feet of the yellow taxiway centerline. Review of a re-recording of ATIS information SIERRA disclosed that information SIERRA announced that taxiways B2, B4, A3, A5, A6, and A7, and taxiways A2 and A7 between the runways were closed, but did not indicate that barricades were in place on the parallel taxiway. FAA Order 7110.65M, "Air Traffic Control", specifies that the following information be disseminated on ATIS: "Taxiway closures which affect the entrance or exit of active runways, other closures which impact airport operations, [and] other NOTAM's and PIREP's pertinent to operations in the terminal area." FAA Order 7110.65M also specifies inclusion of "Other optional information as local conditions dictate in coordination with ATC", such as "VFR arrival frequencies, temporary airport conditions, LAHSO operations being conducted, or other perishable items that may appear only for a matter of hours or a few days on the ATIS message." FAA Order 7210.3, "Facility Operation and Administration", states that ATIS messages should be kept "as brief and concise as possible", and also specifies that "Optimum duration of up to 30 seconds should not be exceeded unless required for message content completeness." The re-recording of information SIERRA was 48 seconds long. No information was obtained on whether the barricade struck was identified in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). The pilot also did not indicate whether or not he obtained NOTAMs for Boeing Field prior to the accident flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N30616](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N30616), registered now, S/N 4983, built 1940 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper J3C-65 - Registry model: [Piper J3C-65](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (registry code 7100510) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 4983 - Airframe hours: 3145.68 - Engines: Continental C85-12 85 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, December 23, 2000, 5 hours before - Departed: BFI, Seattle, WA - Destination: BFI, Seattle, WA - Airport: BFI, King County Intl/Boeing Field ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 45; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review October 6, 2000; seat: rear; flight hours: 209 total, 182 in this make and model, 188 as pilot in command, 21 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,400 ft broken - Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: BFI ## 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 20010317005649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010317005649A), Mar 17, 2001: Piper J3C65, Seattle, WA, No damage. (-23)A/c was traveling north on taxiway alpha when the left mainlanding gear impacted a ten foot horizontal barricade. The barricade was to the left and… 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.