Incident Overview
A flight instructor, who was on the controls, reported that he and a student taxied for departure. Upon reaching the departure end of the runway, they found four airplanes ahead in a run-up area. The first airplane moved to the hold short line; after completing engine run-up, the instructor moved to the hold short line behind that airplane. The remaining three airplanes, all biplanes, stayed in the run-up area.
Sequence of Events
After the first airplane departed, the instructor informed the control tower that they were ready for departure and received a reply to stand by. The tower then cleared the three biplanes, still in the run-up area, for takeoff as a flight of three. As the taxiing biplanes passed, the second biplane in the flight struck the instructor's airplane's right aileron.
Pilot Statements
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane, who was second in the flight, reported that the flight had been holding in the run-up area at a 45° angle to complete run-up checks when air traffic control cleared the flight for takeoff. He began following the lead airplane and his airplane struck the airplane stopped at the hold short line. He stated that he never saw the stopped airplane until after the impact.
Damage and Awareness
The instructional airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aileron. In an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the flight instructor reported that he was not aware the three biplanes were part of a single flight awaiting takeoff clearance. He also noted that he had never flown tailwheel airplanes and was unaware of their limited forward visibility.
Mechanical Condition
Both pilots reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their respective airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.