- Date
- June 22, 2021, 23:55 local (Jun 23, 2021, 06:55 UTC)
- Place
- Apple Valley, CA · Airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N881HPCessna T206
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20210622014889A
- Case key
- 103322
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 distraction due to adjusting the radio while taxing at night, which resulted in a taxiway excursion and subsequent impact with terrain.
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 reported that, while taxiing the airplane from the ramp to the runway in nighttime conditions he noted the location of the two sets of taxiway lights that indicate the location of the ramp entrance to taxiway alpha. The pilot then reached down to configure the radio and when he looked back outside to the left, he saw one row of two blue taxiway lights, however he did not see the other set of taxiway lights to the left of the set he initially saw and believed that what he saw was the first row (north side). He immediately applied left rudder input to turn but the airplane suddenly stopped, as the airplane had exited the taxiway ramp and impacted a drainage culvert. The aft section of the fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N881HP
- Reported as
- Cessna T206 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T20608234
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 15,157.6
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - state · Public use
- Operator
- California Highway Patrol
- Registered owner
- California Highway Patrol
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 17, 2021 · 21.9 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- APV · Apple Valley
- Equipment
- Unknown
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,835 total · 1,951 in this make and model · 2,418 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 24, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 641 total · 4 in this make and model · 570 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KGXA, 24 nm away
- METAR
- KGXA 230658Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM FEW170 22/M02 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP101 WND DATA ESTMD T02151025
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 22, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 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.