 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Aircraft wing lights and taxi light out of service, resulting in taxi off taxiway and striking culvert.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 94405 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198809 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mic |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 23 flight time total : 99 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 94405 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The flight was conducted with both the taxi and landing lights burned out. The takeoff from mwc at dusk, the flight and the landing at microphone were uneventful. I landed on runway 13L at XA20 and continued to the end. From the end of runway 13L I turned left onto the east perimeter taxiway. I followed the taxiway through the left turn of the northeast corner and back to the 3-TXWY Y intersection. (The east perimeter taxiway ends here and the txwys running parallel and across the base of runway 23R and left fork to the right and left.) in the dark, I did not see the fork in time to make a normal turn so I stopped the aircraft. At this pont the aircraft was at the edge/end of the taxiway facing 260 degrees with txwys to the right and left at 320 degrees and 230 degrees. I was unable to turn the aircraft to the right or left from this location because microphone has reflective markers set back from the edge of the txwys at intxns. I was situated with the markers 4-5' ahead and to my right and left. I deemed that even a hard turn would bring the outside main wheel into a marker. However, there was sufficient room between the markers to taxi the aircraft through to the turf runway 23L. I decided to taxi the aircraft ahead and pivot to the right around the marker to my right and back onto the taxiway heading 320 degrees (across the base of runway 23R & left). I eased the aircraft forward slowly making sure that the wing strut was clear of the marker. When I could see the marker behind the strut, I added power and applied the right brake to pivot around it. The aircraft swung through 60 degrees of the turn and then pitched down violently and the engine stopped. I killed the master and mags, got the pas out of the aircraft and examined the problem. I discovered that there was an 18' culvert behind the marker I had chose to turn around. The culvert runs parallel to the taxiway I arrived on (320 degrees). As the nose wheel came even with the marker it dropped into the culvert, bringing the propeller into contact with the ground on the other side of the culvert. Damage to the aircraft consisted of a broken nose wheel pant and a bent propeller with possible engine damage from the sudden forced stop.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACFT WING LIGHTS AND TAXI LIGHT OUT OF SERVICE, RESULTING IN TAXI OFF TXWY AND STRIKING CULVERT.
Narrative: THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED WITH BOTH THE TAXI AND LNDG LIGHTS BURNED OUT. THE TKOF FROM MWC AT DUSK, THE FLT AND THE LNDG AT MIC WERE UNEVENTFUL. I LANDED ON RWY 13L AT XA20 AND CONTINUED TO THE END. FROM THE END OF RWY 13L I TURNED LEFT ONTO THE E PERIMETER TXWY. I FOLLOWED THE TXWY THROUGH THE LEFT TURN OF THE NE CORNER AND BACK TO THE 3-TXWY Y INTXN. (THE E PERIMETER TXWY ENDS HERE AND THE TXWYS RUNNING PARALLEL AND ACROSS THE BASE OF RWY 23R AND L FORK TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT.) IN THE DARK, I DID NOT SEE THE FORK IN TIME TO MAKE A NORMAL TURN SO I STOPPED THE ACFT. AT THIS PONT THE ACFT WAS AT THE EDGE/END OF THE TXWY FACING 260 DEGS WITH TXWYS TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT AT 320 DEGS AND 230 DEGS. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE ACFT TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT FROM THIS LOCATION BECAUSE MIC HAS REFLECTIVE MARKERS SET BACK FROM THE EDGE OF THE TXWYS AT INTXNS. I WAS SITUATED WITH THE MARKERS 4-5' AHEAD AND TO MY RIGHT AND LEFT. I DEEMED THAT EVEN A HARD TURN WOULD BRING THE OUTSIDE MAIN WHEEL INTO A MARKER. HOWEVER, THERE WAS SUFFICIENT ROOM BTWN THE MARKERS TO TAXI THE ACFT THROUGH TO THE TURF RWY 23L. I DECIDED TO TAXI THE ACFT AHEAD AND PIVOT TO THE RIGHT AROUND THE MARKER TO MY RIGHT AND BACK ONTO THE TXWY HDG 320 DEGS (ACROSS THE BASE OF RWY 23R & L). I EASED THE ACFT FORWARD SLOWLY MAKING SURE THAT THE WING STRUT WAS CLEAR OF THE MARKER. WHEN I COULD SEE THE MARKER BEHIND THE STRUT, I ADDED PWR AND APPLIED THE RIGHT BRAKE TO PIVOT AROUND IT. THE ACFT SWUNG THROUGH 60 DEGS OF THE TURN AND THEN PITCHED DOWN VIOLENTLY AND THE ENG STOPPED. I KILLED THE MASTER AND MAGS, GOT THE PAS OUT OF THE ACFT AND EXAMINED THE PROB. I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS AN 18' CULVERT BEHIND THE MARKER I HAD CHOSE TO TURN AROUND. THE CULVERT RUNS PARALLEL TO THE TXWY I ARRIVED ON (320 DEGS). AS THE NOSE WHEEL CAME EVEN WITH THE MARKER IT DROPPED INTO THE CULVERT, BRINGING THE PROP INTO CONTACT WITH THE GND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CULVERT. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT CONSISTED OF A BROKEN NOSE WHEEL PANT AND A BENT PROP WITH POSSIBLE ENG DAMAGE FROM THE SUDDEN FORCED STOP.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.