Aviat S2 N15TA
20 October 2013 · Livermore, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 October 2013 at about 20:59 local time, a Aviat S2 registered N15TA, operated by Attitude Aviation, was involved in an accident near Livermore, California, United States. 4 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.
The record
- Date
- at 20:59
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Livermore, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Livermore Municipal (LVK)
- Coordinates
- 37.6922, -121.8250
- Aircraft
- Aviat S2
- Registration
- N15TA
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2001
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Attitude Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Livermore → Livermore
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR14LA025
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
Failure of the pilots of the Pitts airplane to maneuver the airplane as necessary to observe the taxi route and avoid the Cessna airplane ahead. Contributing to the accident was the local controller's failure to provide the required warning of traffic ahead to the pilots of the Pitts airplane when clearing the Pitts to taxi.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While taxiing after landing at a controlled airport, a Pitts tailwheel-equipped airplane collided with a Cessna that was standing with its engine operating. Both airplanes were on instructional flights with a flight instructor and a rated pilot who was receiving instruction aboard. The airport was equipped with two parallel runways, designated as 25L and 25R. Taxiway G was situated at the end of 25L, was oriented perpendicular to the runways, and extended slightly south of 25L where it terminated at a parallel taxiway. The air traffic control tower (ATCT) was staffed by four persons serving three positions. One person was serving as controller in charge (CIC), one person was serving as local controller (LC), and two people were assigned to the ground controller (GC) position. A controller-in-training (CIT) was actively performing the GC duties, and he was being trained by a full performance level controller. The Cessna landed on 25L and, as instructed by the LC, exited south onto taxiway G, stopped, and called the GC to obtain clearance to taxi; however, the GC did not respond to the taxi request. The Pitts then landed on runway 25R, and the LC instructed the pilots to turn the airplane left onto taxiway G, hold short of 25L, and remain on the LC's frequency, which the pilots of the Pitts did. At that point, the two airplanes were facing in the same direction, separated by runway 25L and at least 300 feet. About 50 seconds after the Cessna made its taxi request to the GC, the LC cleared the Pitts to cross 25L, and although required to do so, she did not advise the Pitts of the Cessna in its path. The pilots of the Pitts were unaware of the Cessna's presence until the propeller of the Pitts struck the empennage of the Cessna. The pilots of the Pitts did not see the Cessna due to the limited forward visibility of tailwheel-equipped Pitts, their failure to S-turn while taxiing, and the limited tail-on visibility of the Cessna. Had the pilots of the Pitts performed S-turns while crossing runway 25L, the collision likely would not have occurred. In addition, the pilots of the Pitts had no expectation that the Cessna was in their path because they were operating in the movement area of a controlled airport and had not been warned of the Cessna by the LC.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviat S2 C | N15TA | Attitude Aviation | Substantial |
| Cessna 172-S | N698SP | West Valley Flying Club | Substantial |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2013 | Bell 206B | Acton, California, United States | Orbic Air | Fatal | 3 |
| 10 Feb 2013 | Bell 206B | Shandon, California, United States | Sycan Corp DBA | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 2013 | Grumman American Avn AA 1C | Hemet, California, United States | William Ralph Eddings | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Feb 2013 | St Clair LANCAIR 360 | Williams, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Feb 2013 | Avions Fairey TIPSY NIPPER T-66 | Winters, California, United States | Sharman Enterprises Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Sep 2013 | Cessna 172N | Long Beach, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |