Cessna 172I N404SW

Summary

On 2 September 2002 at about 19:02 local time, a Cessna 172I registered N404SW, operated by Arizona Aero-Tech, was involved in an accident near Tucson, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 September 2002 at 19:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Tucson International (TUS)

Coordinates

32.1161, -110.9411

Aircraft

Cessna 172I

Registration

N404SW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Arizona Aero-Tech

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tucson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02LA274

Nobody was injured.

the certified flight instructor's failure to maintain an adequate distance from a jet during taxi. A factor was the local/ground controller's failure to issue a safety alert or cautionary advisory to the pilot with regards to the jet blast of the departing Boeing 737.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The right wing impacted the pavement after encountering jet blast from a transport category airplane taxiing onto a runway. The accident airplane had been instructed by ground control to taxi along a route that placed it behind a Boeing 737, which was holding short of the runway for a takeoff clearance. The certified flight instructor (CFI) directed his student to taxi as far to the right side of the 75-foot-wide taxiway as possible to avoid the jet blast of the Boeing 737. As their airplane passed behind the jet, the Boeing spooled up its engines and proceeded onto the runway for takeoff. The CFI and student were on the ground controller's frequency, and were not aware that the jet had been cleared for takeoff by the local controller on tower frequency. Controllers issued no safety alerts or cautionary advisories as instructed by Air Traffic Control Order 7110.65N, 3-1-4. The airplane's left wing rose into the air while the right impacted the pavement twice. The propeller also struck the pavement. Ground scars and a paint streak were near the right edge and outside of the taxiway boundary line.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.