- Date
- December 27, 2008, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Rock Springs, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N890FECessna 208B
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSFO
- FAA report
- 20081227853769A
- Case key
- 73143
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 control of the airplane while taxiing. Contributing to the accident were the gusty winds.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The operator reported that the pilot taxied the high-wing airplane from the ramp along the parallel taxiway to the active runway (27) with a quartering tailwind. He reported that when the pilot initiated a turn to the right at the taxiway intersection, the airplane did not respond to the control inputs and continued straight ahead. The pilot applied full right brake and rudder; however, the airplane continued to track forward and exited the hard surface taxiway. The airplane continued off the taxiway and traveled an additional 80 feet through rough terrain before it came to rest in a nose-down attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. Winds at the time of the accident were from 260 degrees at 27 knots, gusting to 38 knots. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported with the control system or brakes.
Factual narrative
The operator reported that the pilot taxied the high-wing airplane from the ramp along the parallel taxiway to the active runway (27) with a quartering tailwind. He reported that when the pilot initiated a turn to the right at the taxiway intersection, the airplane did not respond to the control inputs and continued straight ahead. The pilot applied full right brake and rudder, however; the airplane continued to track forward and exited the hard surface taxiway. The airplane continued off the taxiway and traveled an additional 80 feet through rough terrain before it came to rest in a nosed down attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. Winds at the time of the accident were from 260 degrees at 27 knots, gusting to 38 knots. No pre accident mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported with the control system or brakes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N890FE
- Reported as
- Cessna 208B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 208B0219
- Airframe hours
- 10,062
- Engine
- P&W PT6A SERIES, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Corporate Air
- Registered owner
- Federal Express Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 13, 2008
- Departed
- KRKS · Rock Springs, WY
- Destination
- KCRP · Casper, WY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KRKS · Rock Springs-Sweetwater County, runway 27, 10,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,255 total · 112 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 27 knots, gusting 38
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 12 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Observed at
- KRKS, 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.