# NTSB WPR11CA171: Remos GX, N386GX, Arlington, WA, March 19, 2011

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: March 19, 2011, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place: Arlington, WA
- Coordinates: 48.160556, -122.158889 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.1606&lon=-122.1589&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Prior to flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/100) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining events: [Prior to flight: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200); [Prior to flight: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report July 18, 2011
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 78591
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR11CA171
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/78591/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78591
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11CA171

## Probable cause (aircraft 2)

The LSA pilots' failure to stop and to ensure that the taxiway was clear of conflicting traffic before entering.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Object/animal/substance: aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Response/compensation (probable cause), aircraft 1; cases with it: [All aircraft, 116 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040/cases.md)
- [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot of other aircraft (probable cause), aircraft 1; cases with it: [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md)
- [Object/animal/substance: aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Response/compensation (probable cause), aircraft 2; cases with it: [Gould Leland E LONG EZ, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040/cases.md?model=05690L5), [All aircraft, 116 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot, aircraft 2; cases with it: [Gould Leland E LONG EZ, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md?model=05690L5), [All aircraft, 200 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md)
- [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause), aircraft 2; cases with it: [Gould Leland E LONG EZ, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md?model=05690L5), [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Prior to flight: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event), aircraft 1; cases with it: [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md)
- [Taxi-to runway: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470), aircraft 1; cases with it: [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)
- [Prior to flight: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event), aircraft 2; cases with it: [Gould Leland E LONG EZ, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md?model=05690L5), [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md)
- [Taxi-to runway: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470), aircraft 2; cases with it: [Gould Leland E LONG EZ, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05690L5), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Analysis (aircraft 2)

The experimental Long EZ was taxiing on taxiway A for a planned departure from the non-towered airport. About the same time, a light sport airplane (LSA) was taxiing out of a ramp area on a stub taxiway, towards taxiway A, for a planned departure. According to the Long EZ pilot, he saw the LSA approach from the right and then turned right onto taxiway A. He steered his airplane to the left side of the taxiway in an attempt to avoid the LSA. According to both persons on board the LSA, as they approached the taxiway, they looked to the right and left, and then proceeded onto taxiway A via a right turn. Shortly after the LSA joined the taxiway centerline, the Long EZ's right vertical stabilizer struck the LSA's left aileron. The LSA's rotating propeller struck the right canard of the Long EZ. The airplanes came to a stop near the edge of taxiway A, about 75 feet beyond the center of the stub taxiway. A chain link fence near the taxiway limited the pilots' ability to see one another until they were close to the taxiway intersection. However, none of the pilots involved reported that the LSA stopped before it turned onto taxiway A. Subsequent to the accident, the fixed base operator modified their standard operating procedures to require pilots to stop prior to entering taxiway A.

## Factual narrative (aircraft 2)

The experimental, amateur-built Long EZ, operated by the commercially-certificated pilot/builder/owner, was taxiing northbound on taxiway Alpha, for its departure from the non-towered airport. About the same time, the high-wing special light sport airplane (LSA), with a light sport certificated pilot in the left seat and a certificated flight instructor in the right seat, was taxiing west out of the fixed base operator's ramp area on a stub taxiway, towards taxiway Alpha, for its departure. Both taxiways were about 50 feet wide. According to the Long EZ pilot, he observed the LSA approach from his right, and then turn northbound onto taxiway Alpha. He steered his airplane to the left side of the taxiway in an attempt to avoid the LSA. According to both persons on board the LSA, as they approached the Alpha taxiway, they looked to the right and left, and then proceeded onto taxiway Alpha via a right (northbound) turn. Shortly after the LSA joined the centerline of Alpha northbound, the Long EZ's right vertical stabilizer struck the LSA's left aileron. The Long EZ began to pivot to the right (clockwise), and both airplanes veered towards the right (east) side of the taxiway. The LSA's rotating propeller then struck the right canard of the Long EZ. The airplanes came to a stop near the right (east) edge of taxiway Alpha, about 75 feet beyond the center of the stub taxiway. The skid mark from the Long EZ left main tire began about 12 feet from the left edge of Alpha, and continued 59 feet in a curve, to where the airplane stopped. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and visibility was about 10 miles. Both airplanes were based at the airport, and both were primarily white in color. A chain link fence about 6 feet high, set back about 50 feet from the south side of the stub taxiway and the east side of Alpha, limited the pilots' ability to see one another until they were close to the taxiway intersection. However, none of the three pilots involved reported that the LSA stopped before it turned onto the Alpha taxiway. Subsequent to the accident, the fixed base operator modified their standard operating procedures to require pilots to stop prior to entering taxiway Alpha.

## Aircraft 1

- Registration: N386GX (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Remos GX
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 309
- Airframe hours: 271
- Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, March 7, 2011
- Departed: AWO, Arlington, WA
- Destination: RNT, Renton, WA
- Airport: AWO, Arlington Municipal

## Aircraft 2

- Registration: [N11NL](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N11NL), registered now, S/N 1108, built 1989 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Gould Rutan (Long EZ)
- Registry model: [Gould Leland E LONG EZ](https://openairdocs.org/model/gould-leland-e-long-ez) (registry code 05690L5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 1108
- Airframe hours: 475
- Engines: Lycoming IO-320 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, September 20, 2010
- Departed: AWO, Arlington, WA
- Destination: AWO, Arlington, WA
- Flight plan: Unknown
- Airport: AWO, Arlington Municipal

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot, aircraft N386GX; age 53; injuries: none; sport pilot; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot; last flight review November 6, 2010; seat: left; flight hours: 167 total, 110 in this make and model, 54 as pilot in command, 16 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours
- Flight instructor, aircraft N386GX; age 63; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 3, 2010; seat: right; flight hours: 2,925 total, 131 in this make and model, 2,832 as pilot in command, 56 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours
- Pilot, aircraft N11NL; age 75; injuries: none; military, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 20, 2009; seat: front; flight hours: 10,000 total, 475 in this make and model, 5,000 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observed at: PAE, 15 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20110319005271A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110319005271A), Mar 19, 2011: Gould Leland E LONG EZ, Arlington, WA, Substantial damage. On March 19th, 2011 N11NL an experimental Long Ez aircraft taxied northbound on taxiway alpha at the Arlington Municipal Airport, Arlington WA. As the pilot in…

## Docket (7 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 21, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78591. 6.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (N86GX) (item 1, .PDF, 659 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40346470&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20(N86GX)-Redacted.PDF
- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (N11NL) (item 2, .PDF, 2.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40346471&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20(N11NL)-Redacted.PDF
- Police Report Excerpts (item 3, .PDF, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40346472&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Police%20Report%20Excerpts-Redacted.PDF
- FAA Provided Information (item 4, .PDF, 60 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40346473&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Provided%20Information-Master.PDF
- Accident Location Diagram (item 5, .PDF, 132 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40346816&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Location%20Diagram-Master.PDF
- Accident Report Photographs (7 total) (item 6, .PDF, 7 photos, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40346477&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Report%20Photographs%20(7%20total)-Master.PDF
- METARs (item 7, .PDF, 27 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40346478&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=METARs-Master.PDF

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.

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