N5146S

On July 20, 2008, about 1530 Pacific daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugproduktions-und EA 300/L, N981KM, collided on the ground with a Cessna TR182, N5146S, at Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV), San Jose, California. Both pilots were operating their airplanes under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot piloting the EA 300 and the private pilot piloting the TR 182 were not injured. The EA 300 sustained minor damage, and the TR 182 sustained substantial damage to the tail section. Both airplanes had been on local area flights; The EA 300 had departed at 1450, and the TR 182 had departed at 1445. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for either flight.

The pilot of the TR 182 reported that he landed on runway 31R, and exited the runway onto taxiway Delta. The local tower controllers advised the pilot to hold short of taxiway Zulu, and contact ground control on the appropriate frequency. The pilot followed the instructions and contacted ground control; however, he did not hear a response from ground control upon his initial call. The pilot contacted ground control again; the controller issued a clearance to taxi to parking via taxiway Zulu. While reading back the clearance, the pilot reportedly felt the airplane "jump and shutter," and saw debris fly from behind him forward and into his airplane’s propeller. He then realized that an airplane behind him had collided with the tail of his airplane.

In a written report, the pilot of the EA 300 stated that he had landed on runway 31L, and followed the controllers’ instructions to exit the runway at taxiway Delta, and hold short of runway 31R. The pilot reported that during the turn onto Delta, he saw the TR 182 ahead on the taxiway, holding short of Zulu. The pilot of the EA 300 reported that about 1 minute later, he was cleared to cross runway 31R, hold short of taxiway Zulu, and to contact ground control. He taxied about 50 yards on taxiway Delta, across the runway and across taxiway Yankee, towards the Zulu taxiway. The pilot stated that the nose of his airplane blocked his forward view, and he did not perform S-turns to identify if any obstacles were in front of him. He also reported that he forgot that he had seen the TR 182 ahead of his airplane. The pilot was taxiing with idle power and about to contact ground control when the propeller of his airplane collided with the rudder and elevator of the TR 182.

The propeller of the EA 300 received minor damage, while the elevator, vertical stabilizer, and rudder of the TR 182 sustained substantial damage.