Scholes Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Galveston, Texas 77550
Sunday, May 4, 1997 9:15 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

After maintenance was performed on the Lockheed P-38L, it was to be test flown prior to an air show. The aircraft was towed to the ramp, and a ground operations person parked a cart to the left and rear of the left wing tip before the pilot arrived. The pilot did not note the cart during a 'walk around of the aircraft.' The ground operations person, who stood to the left of the aircraft while the pilot started the engines, noticed the aircraft's crew ladder was down, and proceeded to the rear of the aircraft and secured it. Another person, a ground marshal directed the pilot to move the aircraft from east to west. The airplane had not quite completed a 180 degree turn when the left propeller struck the parked cart. The pilot reported that he saw the parked cart just as the left propeller hit the cart.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft clearance from the ground vehicle.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/4/1997
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 915
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City GALVESTON
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 77550
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SCHOLES FIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GLS
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 50
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 1
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 276
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 4 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1316
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:16PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9005R
NTSB Number FTW97LA176
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Minor
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Lockheed
Aircraft Model P-38L
Aircraft Series Identifier P-38L
Aircraft Serial Number 44-53095
Certified Max Gross Weight 17800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Mar 13 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 1
Airframe Hours 538
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AIR-SRV INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 22714 HEGAR RD
Aircraft Owner City HOCKLEY
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77447
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name LONE STAR FLIGHT MUSEUM
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2002 TERMINAL DRIVE
Operator City GALVESTON
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 77554
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code GLS
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Taxi
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --