- Date
- May 20, 1990, 13:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Coeur D'Alene, ID
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 4 uninjured; on the ground: 1 fatal
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N161RSSwearingen SA226-T(B)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900520021429A
- Case key
- 41109
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Inadequate coordination between the pilot and the ground lineman. A factor related to the accident was: impairment of the ground lineman from consumption of alcohol.
Analysis
The assistance of a ground lineman was obtained to connect an external power unit. After the engines were started, the lineman disconnected the power unit. The pilot noted the disconnect and completed the checklist. When he looked up to find the lineman, he saw an individual walking away from his airplane and assumed that it was the lineman that had been assisting him. The pilot released the brakes and started forward movement of the airplane. The lineman, however, was still next to the airplane at the external power receptacle, which was located on the right side of the nose in front of the propeller. The lineman and power unit were struck by the right propeller. A toxicology check of the lineman's blood showed it had an alcohol level of 0.037%.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N161RS
- Reported as
- Swearingen SA226-T(B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T341
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331, 940 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bertea Aviation Inc.
- Destination
- 65S · Bonners Ferry, ID
- Airport
- COE · Coeur D'Alene
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,800 total · 190 in this make and model · 5,600 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N161RS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.