DFW AIRPORT, TX, USA
N4980V
Beech E18S
N2069C
Beech E18S
Two Beech E18S airplanes (from same operator) took off 10 minutes apart from the same location on a night cargo flight. They arrived 4 minutes apart & landed on runway 36L. After the 1st plane (N2069C) landed, tower cleared the pilot to 'taxi to the ramp.' Approaching the UPS ramp, the pilot of the 1st plane continued monitoring the tower, but contacted the ramp controller (UPS), using a 2nd radio. He was told by UPS 'to hold short of the ramp.' Meanwhile, the 2nd plane (N4980V) was cleared (by tower) 'to taxi to the ramp.' Subsequently, the 2nd plane collided with the 1st plane, which had stopped on the taxiway short of the cargo ramp. The 1st plane was facing nearly perpendicular to the taxiing airplane. Both planes were equipped with rotating beacons on the lower portion of the fuselage & navigation lights on the wing tips & tail; althought for aircraft approaching from either side, illumination from the tail navigation light on this make/model of plane was blocked by the vertical stabilizers & rudders. UPS holding instructions (to the 1st pilot) did not specify where to hold. The collision occurred in an area that was not visible to the tower. All taxiways were equipped with centerline lighting. The taxiway's centerline lighting & blue edge lights were operational.
On December 29, 1997, at 2152 central standard time, a Beech E18S airplane, N4980V, operating as Springdale Air 110, collided with another Beech E18S airplane, N2069C, operating as Springdale Air 985, while taxiing to the ramp after landing on runway 36L at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, in Texas. Both airplanes were owned and operated by Springdale Air Service of Springdale, Arkansas, under Title 14 CFR Part 135. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area for the scheduled cargo flights for which IFR flight plans were filed. The airline transport rated pilots in charge of the airplanes were not injured. The stationary airplane, N2069C sustained substantial damage, while the taxiing airplane, N4980V, sustained minor damage. Both flights originated from Springdale, Arkansas, between 2000 and 2010. According to the operator, both airplanes departed from the Springdale Airport within 10 minutes of each other with a cargo of UPS packages destined for the DFW International Airport. The West Control Tower at DFW Airport reported that both airplanes landed on runway 36L within approximately 4 minutes of each other. The first airplane to land (Springdale 985), landed long on runway 36L. While exiting the runway the tower instructed the pilot to stay with the tower. The tower operator cleared Springdale 985 to "taxi to the ramp." The pilot exited the runway at taxiway Zulu, then turned northbound on taxiway Charlie. The pilot stated that as he approached the UPS sign on the west side of taxiway Charlie, he called the UPS ramp controller on the number two radio while he continued to monitor tower on the number one radio. The UPS controller instructed the pilot to "hold short of the ramp." The pilot stated that he held by the UPS sign on the taxiway while a UPS Boeing 757 was starting and taxiing. The pilot reported that the UPS Controller asked him to move forward to allow 757 jetliner to taxi by him. The pilot further stated that he was then cleared to hold short of Charlie One so the jetliner could go out on Charlie Two. The second airplane (Sprindale 110) also landed long on runway 36L and rolled out to the far end of the runway, clearing the runway at the last taxiway (taxiway Yankee). The tower cleared the airplane to "taxi to the ramp." The pilot stated that he was middle of his right turn onto taxiway Charlie" when his airplane collided with the company airplane that was stopped on the taxiway facing northbound, just north of the interception of taxiways Zulu and Charlie. Examination of the airplanes by the FAA inspector confirmed that the airplane that was holding on the taxiway Charlie was nearly perpendicular to the airplane turning onto taxiway Charlie. Examination of the damage revealed that the damage to Springdale 110 was confined to the propeller blades on the left engine and the left engine cowling; however, Springdale 985 sustained structural damage to the right vertical and horizontal stabilizers. The company's operations manager stated that at the time of the accident, the company was operating 13 airplanes. Both airplanes involved in the taxiway collision were equally equipped. The tailwheel equipped airplanes are equipped with a rotating beacon on the lower portion of the fuselage, and navigation lights on the wing tips and the tail. The pilot of the taxiing airplane (Springdale 110) stated that the tail light on this type of airplane is blocked by the rudder when the airplane is approached from the side. He added that the airplane that was holding on the taxiway was also partially blocked by the nose of his own airplane due to the taxiing attitude of the tailwheel equipped airplanes. He further stated that all of the lights on all aircraft should be visible from any angle. The pilot of the taxiing airplane stated that the holding instructions issued to Springdale 985 were too vague as they did not specify where he was to hold, and the airplane ended up holding on a taxiway that was not under the control of the UPS controller. The UPS controller should have issued instructions to hold short at the entrance to the UPS ramp. The FAA inspector stated that the area where the collision occurred is not visible from the tower. All taxiways in the vicinity of where the collision occurred are equipped with taxiway centerline lighting. The taxiway centerline lighting, as well as the blue edge lights, were reported operational at the time of the accident.
failure of the pilot in the 2nd airplane (N4980V) to see-and-avoid the standing airplane (N2069C). Related factors were: darkness, and inadequate (vague) instructions issued by the UPS ramp controller.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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