Incident Details
A flight instructor and a student pilot were taxiing a light single-engine airplane under air traffic control (ATC) instructions when they encountered prop wash from a larger, four-engine turbine-powered airplane. The larger airplane was conducting a maintenance engine run-up in a location adjacent to the active taxiway, an area authorized for parking and engine run-ups up to 80% power. The larger airplane was the third in a row of five similar model airplanes parked at that location.
Sequence of Events
The light single-engine airplane was not on the same radio frequency when the larger airplane received clearance for its run-up. ATC did not inform the pilots of the light airplane about the larger airplane's intentions at any time during their taxi. While taxiing behind the larger turbine-powered airplane, the light airplane was displaced approximately 80 feet from its original position by the prop wash. The incident resulted in substantial damage to the firewall of the light airplane.
Post-Incident Report
The flight instructor reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Safety Recommendation
In the report, the flight instructor suggested that the incident could have been prevented with improved communications between the tower controllers and the ground personnel of the larger turbine-powered airplane.