John Wayne Orange County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Santa Ana, California 92626
Thursday, December 23, 1999 12:14 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A Pitts S-2B biplane collided with a Piper PA-28R-201 while taxiing for takeoff from a tee hangar area. The Piper was stopped at the end of the alley between the tee hangar rows holding short of an active taxiway awaiting a clearance from ground control when the collision occurred. The Pitts pilot stated that he was between a tee hangar row when he had been cleared for takeoff. He said he was performing S-turns for forward visibility while taxiing. During the second S-turn, he contacted the left wing and fuselage of the Piper. A ground witness was standing on the ramp at the end of a tee hangar row off the right wing of the Piper. He stated that the Piper was stationary and the Pitts taxied up from behind and tried to cut between the Piper and a tee hangar. The witness said he had to run from his location out of the path of the Pitts to keep from being hit.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate obstruction clearance while taxiing.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/23/1999
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1214
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City SANTA ANA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92626
Event Date Year 1999
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? Yes
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport JOHN WAYNE ORANGE COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SNA
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1242 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID SNA
Elevation of weather observation facility 54
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 25
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Light and Variable
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 11245
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 23 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1255
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2002 7:11AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N87WA N43793
NTSB Number LAX00LA060A LAX00LA060B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None None
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Minor Substantial
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Pitts Piper
Aircraft Model S-2B PA-28R-201
Aircraft Series Identifier S-2B PA-28R-201
Aircraft Serial Number 5111 28R-7737135
Certified Max Gross Weight -- 2150
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft -- 4
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown Annual
Date of Last Inspection -- --
Airframe hours since last inspection -- 30
Airframe Hours 763 3050
ELT Installed Unknown Yes
ELT Activated Unknown No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name PHILLIP R. ROTHWELL TOM BURGESS LOGAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 171 WILDWOOD DR. 1041 W. 18TH ST. STE. A102
Aircraft Owner City PRESCOTT COSTA MESA
Aircraft Owner State AZ CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 86301 92627
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name DORIAN CHRISTIAN VINIEGRA
Operator Same as Owner? No Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No Yes
Operator Street Address 5230 OTIS AVE
Operator City TARZANA
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 91356
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown 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) Personal Personal
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes Yes
Departure Airport Code SNA SNA
Departure City
Departure State CA CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Taxi Standing
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Mar 12 2001 4:07AM Mar 12 2001 4:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0 0
Runway Length -- --
Runway Width -- --
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --