N55674

Substantial
None

BEECHCRAFT A36S/N: E-2542

Accident Details

Date
Monday, October 12, 2015
NTSB Number
CEN16LA008
Location
Dallas, TX
Event ID
20151013X91320
Coordinates
32.847221, -96.851669
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot’s improper navigation onto a vehicle service road while taxiing and his subsequent distraction while looking at an airport diagram, which led to the airplane impacting a fence post.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
BEECHCRAFT
Serial Number
E-2542
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1990
Model / ICAO
A36BE36
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
6
FAA Model
A36

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
FROG AIR LLC
Address
3810 DEANN DR
City
AMARILLO
State / Zip Code
TX 79121-1802
Country
United States

Analysis

On October 12, 2015, about 1340 central standard time, a Beechcraft A36, N55674, sustained substantial damage while taxiing for takeoff at Dallas Love Field (DAL), Dallas, Texas, when the left wingtip hit a service road fence post. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Frog Air LLC under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight plan was filed. The destination airport was the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA), Amarillo, Texas.

Air traffic control cleared the pilot to taxi to runway 31R via Taxiway A. While leaving the ramp area and transitioning to the taxiway environment, the pilot joined a vehicle service road instead of Taxiway A. As he taxied on the service road, the airplane came to a security fence on the left side of the road. The pilot reported that he looked down to review the airport diagram on his iPad. As he was looking over the airport diagram while still taxiing, the left wing impacted a fence post, which was part of a vehicle gate. The impact turned the nose of the aircraft to the left and the front of the aircraft impacted the vehicle gate, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing.

At 1353, the surface weather at DAL was: wind variable at 4 kts; 10 miles visibility; skies clear; temperature 33 degrees C; dew point 17 degrees C; altimeter 29.78 inches of mercury.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN16LA008