Sinkhole Opens Beneath Taxiing Training Aircraft

Event

A flight instructor and a student pilot were taxiing an airplane when the aircraft began to lean to the right. The instructor looked out of his window to check if the right tire was flat. Instead, he observed that the ramp was opening into a dark black hole approximately 2 feet wide directly underneath the right main landing gear. The instructor and student pilot egressed from the airplane without further incident.

Examination

A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the empennage. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration showed that the right main landing gear had broken through the pavement into a sink hole underneath.

Additional Details

The incident occurred without any reported injuries or further complications. The aircraft's right main landing gear had penetrated the pavement, indicating a subsurface void. The exact location and date of the event were not specified in the report.