Boise Air Terminal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Boise, Idaho 83705
Friday, April 7, 1995 21:23 MDT

AT 2059 MDT, A LIGHTNING STRIKE OCCURRED, RESULTING IN A POWER OUTAGE IN THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) TOWER. ELECTRICAL POWER WAS RESTORED, BUT SOME EQUIPMENT (INCLUDING THE RADAR COMPUTER AND VOICE RECORDERS) REMAINED INOPERATIVE FOR A TIME. AT ABOUT 2121 MDT, CESSNA 402B, N25BH, CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL (GC) AND WAS CLEARED TO TAXI FROM THE EXECUTIVE HANGAR TO RUNWAY 28R FOR TAKEOFF. ABOUT 1 MINUTE LATER, PIPER PA-34, N3408Q, CONTACTED GC AND WAS CLEARED TO TAXI FROM THE REGIONAL HANGAR TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS AND RAIN PREVAILED AT THE TIME. AS THE CESSNA WAS PROCEEDING EASTBOUND ON THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY TO RUNWAY 10L/28R, THE PA-34 WAS EXITING AN ADJACENT RAMP AREA (WHERE OTHER AIRCRAFT WERE PARKED). THE TWO AIRPLANES CONVERGED AT THE TAXIWAY INTERSECTION, BUT NEITHER PILOT SAW THE OTHER PLANE IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE CESSNA'S LEFT WINGTIP/FUEL TANK WAS SLASHED OPEN BY THE PA-34'S RIGHT PROPELLER, WHICH RESULTED IN A FUEL SPILL AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE CESSNA'S LEFT WING; THE PA-34'S RIGHT WING RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT GC DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ADVISORIES AFTER THE INITIAL TAXI CLEARANCE; AN ALARM (CAUSED BY AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE) DISTRACTED THE TOWER CONTROLLER(S), WHO NEVER VISUALLY IDENTIFIED THE PA-34.

FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO PERFORM ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT DURING TAXI, AND THE GROUND CONTROLLER'S FAILURE TO IDENTIFY THE POSITION OF THE PIPER PA-34 BEFORE ISSUING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DECREASED VISIBILITY DUE TO DARKNESS AND RAIN, PARTIAL FAILURE OF ATC EQUIPMENT DUE TO A LIGHTNING STRIKE, AND DIVERTED ATTENTION OF ATC PERSONNEL DUE TO THE PARTIAL FAILURE OF ATC EQUIPMENT.