Twin Otters crash on runway

A de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter hit another Twin Otter on the runway at Sebastian, Florida.

The pilot of the first Twin Otter reported that, once she started the engines, the airplane rolled forward and to the left 180° because the steering-tiller had been positioned sharply to the left when the airplane was last parked.

She added that, when she applied the brakes, there was no response, and the airplane subsequently hit the right wing of the second Twin Otter.

She also noted that the hydraulic circuit breaker was open. This would have resulted in insufficient hydraulic pressure to control the parking or pedal brakes.

She added that she should have noticed that the hydraulic circuit breaker was open before she started the engines because it was part of the Before Starting Engines checklist.

Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to conduct all of the required items on the Before Starting Engines checklist, which resulted in her failure to detect an open hydraulic circuit breaker and led to insufficient hydraulic pressure to operate the airplane’s brakes, her subsequent loss of airplane control, and ground collision with an airplane.

NTSB Identification: ERA15LA124A

This February 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.