On March 12, 1998, a Fairchild SA227-AC (registration N730C) operated by Austin Express was involved in an aviation accident near Tyler, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the golf cart's driver to shutdown the engine and set the parking brake before exiting, which resulted in an unmanned runaway cart. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
After landing and taxiing to parking at night, an unmanned runaway golf cart used as a lead-in vehicle collided with an airplane's left engine propeller. The driver had exited the cart, and despite attempts, could not stop it.
Incident Details
At night, during taxi to parking after landing, an unmanned runaway golf cart being used as a lead-in vehicle collided with an airplane. Witnesses observed the golf cart's driver exit the cart, after which the cart continued moving. The driver attempted to stop the cart but was unsuccessful. The cart circled an aircraft two or three times, then veered off and ricocheted off a fence before heading towards the airplane.
Sequence of Events
The pilots reported that they were approximately 50 feet from their intended stopping point when they observed a golf cart that appeared to be paralleling the fence. At that time, they did not perceive it as a hazard. The golf cart then made an immediate change of direction and headed towards their aircraft. After the change of direction, the pilots observed that the cart was unmanned. They immediately initiated emergency shutdown procedures; however, the cart collided with the left engine's propeller before it could be shut down.
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