The flight instructor reported that, while taxiing the Cessna 172 on a taxiway at the airport in Tucson, Arizona, a commercial turbine-powered airplane powered up to move onto the runway.
As the commercial airplane turned, it kept a very high level of thrust, according to the CFI. The jet blast lifted the instructor’s airplane onto its propeller and right wing.
The right wing was substantially damaged, as well as the propeller.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain a safe taxi distance from a large turbine-powered airplane, resulting in an encounter of the turbine-powered airplane’s jet blast while taxiing.
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This August 2021 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.
How very unfair to the GA pilot. Had the prop blast from the GA pilot caused damage to a ground vehicle, it’s a safe bet that the GA pilot would be responsible, as should be the case. We are all (supposed to be) responsible for damage caused by the outflow of our engines. That was hammered into me in primary training. However, politics. Airliner vs piston single GA? We know who wins when the NTSB is the judge.
During the 80’s – mid 90’s we regularly flew a cousin’s 152 out of Martin State Airport shared, still, with a MD National Guard 104FS of A-10 Warthogs. Due to the monstrous jet wash from A-10s it was common protocol to stay well back and off to side on taxiways if one was waiting for takeoff. Tower would hold us for several minutes after they were aloft before even thinking about giving takeoff clearance. Supposedly a similar airframe was previously flipped from the jet wash shortly after it’s takeoff.
Btw my uncle worked the tower during WW2 with GL Martin Co. and my dad was with 9th Air Force on B-26 Marauders built there.
A-10’s fly over our place regularly… and as the saying goes… “That’s the Sound of Freedom”.
This exact same thing happened to me back in he 1970s at RDU. There was construction on the airport and Ground was giving me progressive taxi instructions. They taxied me behind an Eastern 727 that was holding for takeoff. Right as I got behind the jet I saw black puffs of smoke come out of the engines and I knew he had powered up to get on the runway. Since I was perpendicular to the blast I immediately firewall the throttle and kicked right rudder so I could at least face into the blast. I got about 45 degrees through the turn when the blast hit and tipped the 172 upon onto it’s wing and the nose into the pavement, grinding up the prop, It was all over in a second and we tipped back upright. I called the tower and got a ride back to the FBO where I had rented the plane. The FAA was there waiting for me. He said it was the Tower’s fault for clearing the 727 for takeoff but gave me a lecture about jet blast. I didn’t say anything since I was officially not to blame but had the 727 remained at idle power there would have been no problem. I think the guy in this article got the shaft. Glad I didn’t all those years ago. (Sidebar: As I was leaving the FBO I glanced in the hangar and saw them hanging a new prop on the engine so they could get it quickly back on the rental line. I rented from them again but never that airplane which ground a prop into the pavement at full power!)
I was taught we are all responsible for any damage caused by our prop blast. Does that not apply to jets?
I also wonder why not at least equal blame was given to the jet crew for using excessive thrust while taxiing.
1969 on the flight line at Cannon AFB I was driving my Air Force truck along side an F111 when the 111 suddenly turned blasting my little truck nearly putting it on two wheels. Scared the heck out of me.
It also bugs me that the blame is placed solely on the 172 pilot. I read the report and it seems the 172 pilot tired to move out of the way of where the jet’s rear end was pointing. There was no way for the 172 pilot to know when the 737 would decide to go full throttle and turn to blast the area were the 172 moved into to avoid the jet. OK, maybe he could have stayed a mile away behind the jet and waited for it to leave the taxiway.
In my airline days we were reminded many times to be mindful of the jet blast while in the ramps and avoid blasting innocent people and equipment in the ground. But not only can you damage small planes or ground equipment or people but also larger airplanes can be damaged if you are an idiot moving on the ramp.
Chris
I had a similar hazard once where my taxi route took me behind an airliner holding short of the runway. We had enough distance if the airliner stayed at idle but any increased power would probably blow us away (C152 I think). Not having any idea when the airliner was going to start moving, I asked ground control if he could advise the airliner crew that we were going to be passing behind and not increase power. The controller did that and confirmed the airliner would not increase power until we were safely by, so we then proceeded without a problem.
Reading the reports, GROUND had granted permission for the Cessna to change taxi-ways to *avoid the jet blast from a 737* and then returned them back to Taxiway A. The TOWER then cleared the 737 to turn onto the runway and that jet is now *behind* the Cessna such that it’s jet blast picks up the tail of the Cessna…..
The pilot(s) in the Cessna knew this was going to happen, how? They are on *ground* freq, the 737 is on tower freq. *Tower* cleared them. So this is now the Cessna pilots’ fault?
Chalk up another GA pilot error rubber stamp from NTSB.
If the ‘skeeters don’t get you, the ‘gators will. It seems to me you can’t account for every little thing. What about the phase of the moon or magnetic declination on the runway or the price of avgas to be aware of? Too much mental overhead. Accidents will happen and we can’t account for everything.
Regards/J