Summary
On February 22, 2018, a Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 42 (N987TS) was involved in an incident near Brunswick, GA. All 5 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot receiving instruction’s failure to see and avoid an airplane holding short of the runway on the taxiway and the flight instructor’s lack of situational awareness.
The Chief Pilot of the flight school that operated the multi-engine airplane reported that the pilot-receiving-instruction was taxiing the airplane to runway at the non-tower-controlled airport and was "heads-in" looking down and researching information on his iPad when he heard someone yell, "Stop!". He quickly applied the brakes, but the airplane collided with an airplane stopped on the taxiway, holding short of the runway.
The Chief Pilot further reported that the flight instructor was imputing radio frequencies and was unaware that the pilot was also looking inside the airplane. The instructor looked up just in time to hear the backseat passenger yell "stop," and see the collision.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA198. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N987TS.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot receiving instruction’s failure to see and avoid an airplane holding short of the runway on the taxiway and the flight instructor’s lack of situational awareness.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The Chief Pilot of the flight school that operated the multi-engine airplane reported that the pilot-receiving-instruction was taxiing the airplane to runway at the non-tower-controlled airport and was "heads-in" looking down and researching information on his iPad when he heard someone yell, "Stop!". He quickly applied the brakes, but the airplane collided with an airplane stopped on the taxiway, holding short of the runway.
The Chief Pilot further reported that the flight instructor was imputing radio frequencies and was unaware that the pilot was also looking inside the airplane. The instructor looked up just in time to hear the backseat passenger yell "stop," and see the collision.
The Safety Coordinator of the flight school that operated the stopped airplane reported that, while holding short of the runway and performing the before takeoff checklist, the flight instructor and pilot-receiving-instruction felt a hard impact from the rear.
The stopped airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator.
The Safety Coordinator and Chief Pilot both reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA18CA198