- Date
- August 21, 2009, 15:27 local (22:27 UTC)
- Place
- Everett, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N116JMMorgan James E Morgan RV6
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090821014379A
- Case key
- 74592
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 clearance from objects during taxi. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate marking of the taxiway and obstacles.
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 pilot started the airplane and began to taxi between two rows of hangars. As he approached the east-west taxiway at the end of the rows, he stopped to contact ground control and look at the windsock. After several minutes, ground control cleared him to taxi to runway 16L. He began to taxi toward the east-west taxiway, and was about to start making S-turns to look for obstacles. After traveling 40-60 feet, the propeller, right wing, and right landing gear contacted poles surrounding a fire hydrant. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot noted that the airplane had conventional landing gear and he could not see the hydrant or surrounding poles over its nose. He also indicated that there was no taxi stripe from between the hangars to the east-west taxiway that would lead a pilot away from the poles.
Factual narrative
The pilot started the airplane and began his taxi between two rows of hangars. As he approached the east-west taxiway at the end of the rows, he stopped to contact ground control and look at the windsock. After several minutes, ground control cleared him to taxi to runway 16L. He began to taxi toward the east-west taxiway, and was about to start making S-turns to look for obstacles. After traveling 40-60 feet, the propeller, right wing, and right landing gear contacted poles surrounding a fire hydrant. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot noted that the airplane had conventional landing gear, and he could not see the hydrant or surrounding poles over its nose. He also indicated that there was no taxi stripe from between the hangars to the east-west taxiway that would lead a pilot away from the poles.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N116JM
- Reported as
- Morgan James E Morgan RV6
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- RV20260
- Airframe hours
- 9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A12A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Morgan James E
- Registered owner
- Morgan James E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 27, 2009 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- PAE · Everett, WA
- Destination
- PAE · Everett, WA
- Airport
- PAE · Paine Field, runway 16L, 3,000 × 75 ft, concrete
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 18, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,400 total · 54 in this make and model · 2,360 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KPAE
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 626 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.