CESSNA 560 near Salinas, CA — 2016-11-29
- Date
- 2016-11-29
- Location
- Salinas, CA, USA
- Airport
- SNS
- Aircraft
- CESSNA 560
- Registration
- N22AF
- Category
- Airplane
- Highest injury
- None
- Fatalities
- 0
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a parked helicopter.
NTSB narrative
The airline transport pilot was taxiing the airplane to the parking area and was concerned about an airplane parked on the left side of the taxilane. He maneuvered his airplane right of the taxiway centerline and struck a helicopter parked on the right side of the taxiway. Postincident investigation revealed that the taxilane object free area (TOFA) was 47.5 ft on either side of the taxilane centerline; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airport design standards indicate that the TOFA should have been 57.5 ft on either side of the centerline. Although the parked airplane was within the TOFA, sufficient distance between the airplane and the helicopter remained such that the incident airplane could have taxied safely between them.
Analysis
- Primary failure mode
- Human factors
- First missed decision gate
- Pilot could have maintained a safer distance from the taxilane centerline.
NTSB coding
- Course deviation · Taxi-from runway
- Attention / Monitoring
Evidence available
- Photos
- 4 docket documents