Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Bethel Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bethel, Alaska 99559
Tuesady, October 22, 2002 14:15 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A Piper PA-32 airplane, N76RL, collided with a second Piper PA-32, N31657, as both airplanes were taxiing on the airport ramp. The operators of each of the two airplanes have adjacent loading areas on the ramp. The airline transport certificated pilot of the first Piper was preparing to depart on a cargo flight. The airplane was parked at the operator's ramp area, being fueled by a fuel truck parked in front of the airplane. The fuel truck blocked the pilot's view of the ramp. The fuel truck pulled away, and the pilot started the engine. He then applied engine power to begin a taxi from his parking spot. The pilot indicated he saw no other airplanes due to the high nose angle of his airplane. The commercial certificated pilot of the second Piper was taxiing from landing to the ramp area, headed for a parking spot adjacent to the first Piper. He did not see the first Piper due to the position of the fuel truck. As the second Piper was approaching its parking spot, the pilot began a right turn. At the same time, the fuel truck pulled away, revealing the first Piper pulling out of its parking spot. The pilot of the second Piper tightened his right turn, but the propeller of the first Piper sliced into the leading edge of the second Piper's left wing. The first Piper received minor damage and the second Piper received substantial damage.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of both pilot's to maintain a visual outlook during taxi operations on the ramp.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/22/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1415 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | BETHEL |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99559 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | 604647N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1615017W |
| Event Location Airport | BETHEL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PABE |
| 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 | 123 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PABE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 123 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 142 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.26 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 6 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13544 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA INSPECTOR |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 22 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1725 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 1 2003 9:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03 |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N76RL | N31657 |
| NTSB Number | ANC03LA005A | ANC03LA005B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No | No |
| Damage | Minor | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32 | PA-32 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-7540024 | 32-7840139 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 | 3400 |
| 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 | 1 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- | Oct 10 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | 24 |
| Airframe Hours | -- | 9001 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BELLAIR INC. | LARRY'S FLYING SERVICE INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3788 UNIVERSITY AVE. S | 3822 UNIVERSITY AVE. S |
| Aircraft Owner City | FAIRBANKS | FAIRBANKS |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99709 | 99709 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | -- | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | -- | -- |
| Operator State | -- | -- |
| Operator Country | -- | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- | -- |
| Operator Code | GSBA | FWRA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PABE | RSH |
| Departure City | BETHEL | RUSSIAN MISSION |
| Departure State | AK | AK |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | -- | 1328 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | EEK | PABE |
| Destination City | EEK | BETHEL |
| Destination State | AK | AK |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi - to takeoff | Taxi - from landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 15 2003 3:13PM | May 15 2003 3:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- | -- |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |