Beechcraft E18S N4980V
30 December 1997 · Dfw Airport, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 30 December 1997 at about 03:52 local time, a Beechcraft E18S registered N4980V was involved in an accident near Dfw Airport, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 03:52
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Dfw Airport, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Dfw International (DFW)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft E18S
- Registration
- N4980V
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Springdale → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- FTW98LA080
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
failure of the pilot in the 2nd airplane (N4980V) to see-and-avoid the standing airplane (N2069C). Related factors were: darkness, and inadequate (vague) instructions issued by the UPS ramp controller.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Two Beech E18S airplanes (from same operator) took off 10 minutes apart from the same location on a night cargo flight. They arrived 4 minutes apart & landed on runway 36L. After the 1st plane (N2069C) landed, tower cleared the pilot to 'taxi to the ramp.' Approaching the UPS ramp, the pilot of the 1st plane continued monitoring the tower, but contacted the ramp controller (UPS), using a 2nd radio. He was told by UPS 'to hold short of the ramp.' Meanwhile, the 2nd plane (N4980V) was cleared (by tower) 'to taxi to the ramp.' Subsequently, the 2nd plane collided with the 1st plane, which had stopped on the taxiway short of the cargo ramp. The 1st plane was facing nearly perpendicular to the taxiing airplane. Both planes were equipped with rotating beacons on the lower portion of the fuselage & navigation lights on the wing tips & tail; althought for aircraft approaching from either side, illumination from the tail navigation light on this make/model of plane was blocked by the vertical stabilizers & rudders. UPS holding instructions (to the 1st pilot) did not specify where to hold. The collision occurred in an area that was not visible to the tower. All taxiways were equipped with centerline lighting. The taxiway's centerline lighting & blue edge lights were operational.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft E18S E18S | N4980V | - | Minor |
| Beechcraft E18S E18S | N2069C | - | Substantial |
Other Beechcraft E18S accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct 1997 | Beechcraft E18S | Lake Elmo, Minnesota, United States | MAY Air Xpress | No injuries | - |
| 9 Apr 1998 | Beechcraft E18S | Del Rio, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jan 1995 | Beechcraft E18S | Butte, Montana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Mar 1995 | Beechcraft E18S | Walkers Cay, Bahamas | Carib-Air Cargo Inc | Unknown | - |
| 4 Jun 1994 | Beechcraft E18S | Laurens, South Carolina, United States | Melendez, Jesus | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 2000 | Beechcraft E18S | Wash. Ct. House, Ohio, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1997 | Aero Commander CALLAIR A-9B | El Indio, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1997 | Cessna 182Q | Sugar Land, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Whitewright, Texas, United States | Centerline Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 1997 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Edna, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1997 | Cessna 152 | Gorman, Texas, United States | Spencer Jones | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1997 | Cessna 152 | Fort Worth, Texas, United States | Bridgeport Flight Training | Minor injuries | - |