Pilot Debrief

BEECH 200 near Mount Pleasant, SC — 2021-10-18

Final reportERA22LA019
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Date
2021-10-18
Location
Mount Pleasant, SC, USA
Airport
LRO
Aircraft
BEECH 200
Registration
N996LM
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Taxi

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance with the parked fuel truck while taxiing for takeoff. Contributing to the outcome was the pilot’s decision to park the airplane in the congested ramp area and his excessive taxi speed.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the outcome was the pilot’s decision to park the airplane in the congested ramp area and his excessive taxi speed.

NTSB narrative

The twin-engine, turbo-propeller-powered business airplane was taxiing for takeoff when the right wing struck a fuel truck that was parked on a concrete pad between the ramp and a hangar. The outboard section of the wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that he was aware of the fuel truck that was parked less than 20 ft from the ramp taxiway line and assessed that he had enough room to get around it. No safety markings or cones were around the fuel truck, and no marshaling assistance or warnings were provided by the fixed base operator. He stated that after he started to taxi, he noticed a single-engine airplane to his immediate left, pulling into the spot adjacent to his airplane and that the single-engine airplane kept inching forward. The pilot stated he “shallowed out” his left turn to avoid contact with the airplane located about 6 ft from his left wingtip, as it was apparent to him that the pilot was not going to stop. He stated that this short hesitation, and probably 6 ft of movement, resulted in the right-wing tip of his airplane to contact the fuel truck. According to the occupants of the single-engine airplane, they were taxiing and stopped about 30 yards short of the accident airplane. As the accident airplane’s passenger door closed, they continued their taxi and parked directly on the intended yellow parking “T,” with the main wheel directly on the line of the “T.” As they finalized the shutdown procedure, they observed the accident airplane taxiing very quickly away from its parking space. As the airplane taxied away, its left wing came within 3 ft of the stationary propeller of their airplane. Review of security camera videos confirmed the single-engine airplane was parked for about 1 minute and 19 seconds before the accident airplane began to taxi. Review of a postaccident photograph also showed that the single-engine airplane was parked normally in the parking spot. Calculations of the accident airplane’s movement based on the security camera video indicated that the accident airplane traveled about 112 ft during the taxi out before striking the fuel truck with the right wing. The airplane’s taxi speed was calculated to have reached maximum of about 12.7 mph during its movement. According to personnel at the Fixed Base Operator (FBO), the pilot was not parked in an area that was designated for extended parking for airplanes of its size. FBO personnel stated they had spoken to the pilot in the past about the ramp congestion and the reasons why they insisted he park his airplane in the middle on the taxiway line. In the 2 to 3 months before the accident, he had pulled through the tiedown spots they reserved for smaller airplanes, taking up two tiedown spots with the accident airplane. The ramp congestion, with accident airplane, vehicle, and foot traffic was not unusual for the airport and the pilot had also experienced this firsthand during his many visits to the airport. Given this information, the pilot failed to maintain clearance with the fuel truck as he taxied the airplane on the congested ramp. It likely that had he parked the airplane in a less congested location, or taxied the airplane at a lower speed, the accident could have been avoided.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen to wait for the single-engine airplane to clear before taxiing.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Video
  • Photos
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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