No fatalities

4 May 2015: CESSNA 177B B — SkySite Aerial — Roxboro, NC

Roxboro, NC, United States

On 4 May 2015, a CESSNA 177B B operated by SkySite Aerial was involved in an aviation accident near Roxboro, NC. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to monitor the airplane's movement and maintain control of the airplane. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot and passenger focused on untangling headsets failed to notice the airplane moving forward, resulting in a collision with an unoccupied airplane and substantial damage.

Incident Overview

After engine start up, the pilot reported that he and his passenger were focused on untangling their headsets. He stated they both were "heads down" for about 8 seconds and failed to notice the airplane moving forward. After rolling forward about 25 feet, the airplane struck an unoccupied airplane, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The focus of attention on the headsets led to a loss of awareness of the airplane's movement.

Damage

The collision caused substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage of the moving airplane. The unoccupied airplane sustained unspecified damage.

Contributing Factors

No factors beyond the distraction are mentioned in the report. The pilot did not indicate any pre-existing issues with the aircraft.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome