- Date
- December 14, 2025, 09:04 local (16:04 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Defining events
- Taxi: Ground collisionTaxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20251214018639A
- Case key
- 202162
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 biplane pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from the low-wing airplane while taxiing.
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.
N110Y · Waco RNF
N506AV · Cirrus SR20
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.
N110Y · Waco RNF
N506AV · Cirrus SR20
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped biplane reported that while taxiing behind a low-wing airplane, he was performing s-turns to improve forward visibility. During the s-turns, the pilot momentarily lost sight of the low-wing airplane, and when he regained sight of it, he realized it had stopped. The pilot applied full right rudder and braking to avoid a collision; however, the biplane’s upper left wing struck the low-wing airplane’s rudder. During the collision sequence, the biplane’s propeller struck the low-wing airplane’s horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the upper left wing, and the low-wing airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilots of both airplanes reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with their airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N110Y
- Reported as
- Waco RNF
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3298
- Built
- 1930
- Airframe hours
- 2,770
- Engine
- Warner S50A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 12, 2025
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix Deer Valley Airport
- 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.
- Registration
- N506AV
- Reported as
- Cirrus SR20 (NO SERIES EXISTS)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 9469
- Built
- 2023
- Airframe hours
- 1,849
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-390-C3B6, 215 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Westwind School Of Aeronautics Phoenix LLC DBA, doing business as United Aviate Academy
- Registered owner
- Westwind School Of Aeronautics Phoenix LLC DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 7, 2025
- Departed
- GYR · Goodyear, AZ
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Airframe parachute, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot
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 · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N110Y
- Age
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2025
- Flight hours
- 3,761 total · 727 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor, aircraft N506AV
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 31, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,395 total · 1,320 in this make and model · 1,091 as pilot in command · 286 in the last 90 days · 96 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot, aircraft N506AV
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KDVT, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KDVT 141553Z 05006KT 10SM CLR 15/03 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP185 T01500033
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.0 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.