Cessna 172H N1408F

Summary

On 22 February 2009 at about 21:57 local time, a Cessna 172H registered N1408F, operated by Sonoran Wings, was involved in an incident near Tucson, Arizona, 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.

Date

22 February 2009 at 21:57

Classification

Incident

Location

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Tucson International Airport (TUS)

Coordinates

32.1158, -110.9408

Aircraft

Cessna 172H

Registration

N1408F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sonoran Wings

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tucson → Tucson

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09IA128

Nobody was injured.

The flight instructor’s inadequate situational awareness while taxiing that led to an encounter with jet blast.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Following an uneventful landing, the student pilot and flight instructor were cleared to taxi the Cessna 172H to the ramp. While taxiing on a taxiway, parallel to an active runway, the flight instructor and student pilot observed a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 transport category airplane holding short of the runway. As the Cessna 172H neared the MD-80's position, the student pilot applied aileron control inputs for possible jet blast and deviated away from the MD-80, towards the inner ramp area. The flight instructor advised the student pilot to stop the airplane due to the MD-80 being positioned "farther back from the hold short line of 11L than initially thought and the presence of a Boeing 757 parked in the inner ramp area." As the Cessna 172H slowed to a stop, the MD-80 "increased engine thrust" to taxi onto the runway. Subsequently, the MD-80’s jet blast tipped the Cessna 172H over onto its right wing, which resulted in minor damage to the outboard wingtip. The tower controller reported that he began to clear the MD-80 for takeoff as he scanned the active runway to ensure all crossing aircraft were clear. The controller then "looked back” and saw the Cessna 172H taxiing behind the MD-80. The controller stated that he stopped issuing the takeoff clearance, however the MD-80 had already powered up.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.