11 Jan 2016: BEECH B200 — Island Airways — Carolina, PR

No fatalitiesCarolina, PR, United States

A parked Beech B200 rolled backward into an airport terminal building, causing substantial damage to the aircraft's elevators.

What happened

On January 11, 2016, a Beech B200, registration N87SA, was involved in a ground accident at an airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico. After parking the aircraft and shutting down the necessary systems, the pilot moved to the rear of the plane to assist passengers with disembarking and to place wheel chocks. As the pilot began to open the cabin door, the aircraft started rolling backward. The movement continued until the plane struck the wall of the airport terminal. The impact resulted in substantial damage to both the left and right elevators. There were no injuries resulting from the event.

The investigation

Investigators examined the aircraft's systems following the collision. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or anomalies present in the aircraft or its systems that would have interfered with normal operations. The operator's maintenance department performed an inspection of the parking brake system in accordance with the manufacturer's service manual and found no failures or malfunctions.

Probable cause

The pilot failed to engage the parking brake before leaving the cockpit, which allowed the aircraft to roll backward into the terminal building.

Contributing factors

Causes

Not used/operatedPilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome