- Date
- October 20, 2014, 10:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mountain Home, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N211MYIndus T-211 Thorpedo
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20141020018129A
- Case key
- 90282
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 with a parked truck while taxiing for takeoff.
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
As the pilot was taxiing to takeoff on runway 10, he encountered a truck parked on the taxiway. He then made a 180-degree left turn, taxied back down the taxiway, then made a second 180-degree left turn in an attempt to reverse direction to go around the truck. However, during the turn the airplane went off the right side of the taxiway and into some soft dirt, which required the pilot to increase power in order to get out of the dirt and back upon the runway. The pilot stated that he thought he had added too much power, and as a result, when the airplane regained the taxiway surface it proceeded across the taxiway and impacted the truck with its right wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing. The pilot reported no preaccident anomalies with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
As the pilot was taxiing to takeoff on runway 10, he encountered a truck parked on the taxiway. He then made a 180-degree left turn, taxied back down the taxiway, then made a second 180-degree left turn in an attempt to reverse direction to go around the truck. However, during the turn the airplane went off the right side of the taxiway and into some soft dirt, which required the pilot to increase power in order to get out of the dirt and back upon the runway. The pilot stated that he thought he had added too much power, and as a result, when the airplane regained the taxiway surface it proceeded across the taxiway and impacted the truck with its right wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing. The pilot reported no preaccident anomalies with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N211MY
- Reported as
- Indus T-211 Thorpedo
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 022S
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 312
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Earl W Pitts
- Registered owner
- Earl W Pitts
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 12, 2014 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- U76 · Mountain Home, ID
- Destination
- U76 · Mountain Home, ID
- Airport
- U76 · Mountain Home
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 89
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 7, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 10,016 total · 312 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 175° at 14 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 9, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 18.0 MB 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.