Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The first officer's failure to maintain a safe distance from a large turbine-powered airplane while escorting passengers, resulting in a passenger encounter with jet blast.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On October 13, 2019, at 1121 eastern daylight time, jet blast during ground operations from a Bombardier BD-700-1A10, N307KP, seriously injured a passenger being escorted to another airplane at Augusta Regional Airport (AGS), Augusta, Georgia. The Bombardier airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 flight.
According to the injured passenger, she and six other passengers were being escorted by one of their pilots to a Learjet. She stated that she was about 70 ft from the Bombardier when she was knocked over by the jet blast from the engine.
The first officer of the Learjet stated that he was walking to the airplane with two passengers, and the five remaining passengers were following behind them. As some of the passengers were about to board the airplane, he heard a loud roar and felt a strong, warm gust. He turned around and saw one of the passengers on the ground. He stated he initially thought the Bombardier only had its auxiliary power unit running and believed the airplane was far enough away.
The crew of the Bombardier reported to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector they landed at AGS to drop off a passenger. They shut down the left engine and deplaned the passenger, restarted the left engine, and taxied back to the runway. The captain stated that he used normal breakaway power to get the airplane out of the parking spot, then taxied at normal speeds.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA20LA016