No fatalities

Aircraft Strikes Parked Helicopter Dolly During Taxi

Chattanooga, TN, United States

On December 30, 2008, a BEECH G35 operated by James W. Roberts, Jr. was involved in an aviation accident near Chattanooga, TN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to see and avoid the marked helicopter dolly. Contributing to the accident were the dark night conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During night taxi in visual conditions, a pilot struck a parked helicopter dolly with the right main landing gear, causing gear collapse, wing spar damage, and fuel leak. The dolly was reportedly adequately marked.

Landing and Taxi

The pilot completed a landing on runway 20 and then proceeded to taxi toward his T-hangar. The time of day was night, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the operation.

Collision Event

While taxiing, the pilot entered a general aviation parking ramp. During this maneuver, the right main landing gear of the aircraft struck a parked helicopter dolly. The impact resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear.

Damage Assessment

Following the collision, the right wing sustained damage to both the forward and aft spars. Additionally, a fuel leak was observed.

Dolly Marking

According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector and the airport authority, the parked helicopter dolly was adequately marked.

Pilot Account

The pilot reported that he did not see the dolly prior to the collision.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on personnel