Accident Overview
On February 16, 2013, about 2145 central standard time, a Cessna model 195 airplane, N4426C, was substantially damaged while taxiing at Austin Executive Airport (EDC), Austin, Texas. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, without a flight plan. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, which had intended destination of Gillespie County Airport (T82), Fredericksburg, Texas.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that the accident occurred as he was taxiing on the unlit taxiway paralleling runway 13-31. As the airplane approached the end of the taxiway, adjacent to the runway 13 threshold, the right wing landing light became inoperable, significantly reducing forward visibility in dark night conditions. The pilot cycled the right wing landing light switch while applying wheel brakes, but the light did not illuminate. He stated that he was unable to stop the airplane before it departed the end of the taxiway and traveled down an embankment. He did not recall seeing any reflective markers identifying the end of the taxiway. Although the airplane was equipped with two landing lights (one on each wing), the pilot reported avoiding use of both lights simultaneously during taxi because such use rapidly depletes the battery charge at the lower engine power settings required for taxi.
Airport Information
According to the EDC airport manager, the unlit taxiway servicing runway 13-31 was marked with blue reflective posts 24 inches tall, spaced at 31-foot intervals along the taxiway edges only. The end of the taxiway was identified by red reflectors installed at ground level. Additionally, an airport survey plot indicated a 16-foot descending embankment, specified to have a 3:1 graded slope, located immediately adjacent to the northwest end of the taxiway and the runway 13 threshold. The use of reflective posts for the taxiway and the descending embankment were not identified in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Facility Directory.
Weather and Lighting Conditions
At 2155, the airport's automated surface observing system reported: wind 210 degrees true at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 8°C, dew point -3°C, altimeter 30.24 inHg. The United States Naval Observatory reported sunset and end of civil twilight at 1820 and 1844, respectively. At 2145, a waxing crescent moon was visible west of the airport, about 36 degrees above the horizon, with about 44 percent of the moon's visible disk illuminated. Moonset occurred about 3 hours after the accident at 0046.
Post-Accident Actions
In response to the accident, the airport authority agreed to purchase additional blue reflective posts to more adequately mark the limits of the unlit taxiway. The FAA agreed to amend its Airport Facility Directory to reflect that the taxiway edges were marked by reflector posts and that the northwest end of runway 13-31 and parallel taxiway had a 16-foot descending embankment beginning at the end of the pavement.