- Date
- October 6, 2011, 01:30 UTC
- Place
- Agana
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N9853LCessna 172P
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20111006025289A
- Case key
- 81997
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 avoid the jet blast while taxiing and the ground air traffic controller's failure to advise the pilot of the hazard.
Findings · 3
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 said that he returned to the airport and, after landing, was cleared by an air traffic controller to exit the runway and to proceed to parking, which would require his airplane to cross behind a heavy jet airplane. The pilot reported that he was aware that the heavy jet airplane had been on the taxiway all morning doing periodic engine run-ups. The pilot said that he thought about refusing the clearance but did not. While taxiing across the taxiway behind the jet, a jet blast struck the airplane. The airplane initially slid sideways, then the jet blast picked up the left wing and the right wing struck the ground, which caused substantial damage to the right wing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was aware that a heavy jet aircraft had been on taxiway G all morning doing periodic engine runups. He departed on his flight and returned to the airport. After landing, the single-engine airplane was cleared by air traffic controllers to exit the runway on taxiway E and proceed to parking, which would put the aircraft crossing taxiway G behind the heavy jet. The pilot said he thought about refusing the clearance but followed it anyway. While taxiing across taxiway G, the jet blast from the heavy jet struck the airplane. The airplane initially slid sideways, then the jet blast picked up the left wing and the right wing struck the ground, which caused substantial damage to the right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9853L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276639
- Airframe hours
- 16,250
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Trend Vector Aviation Int
- Registered owner
- Trend Vector Aviation Int
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 22, 2011 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- PGUM · Agana
- Destination
- PGUM · Agana
- Airport
- PGUM · Guam International Airport
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 7, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 487 total · 234 in this make and model · 438 as pilot in command · 117 in the last 90 days · 59 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- PGUM
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 21, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 635 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.
Other investigations on N9853L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.