What happened
On March 14, 2025, at approximately 07:38 central daylight time, a Cessna 208B, registration N9471B, was involved in an accident at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The aircraft was performing a Part 135 positioning flight when the incident occurred.
While holding short of runway 17R, the pilot observed a departing Airbus A321 cleared for takeoff. After receiving clearance to line up and wait on runway 17R, the pilot completed pre-takeoff checklists. Due to gusty wind conditions, the pilot had the wing flaps set to 10° and used the control yoke to manage a right quartering headwind while taxiing toward the runway centerline on a 45° intercept.
As the aircraft approached the runway 17R centerline, it encountered unexpected wind shear and wake turbulence. This caused the airplane to skid to the left. Despite attempts to regain control by reducing engine power and applying rudder and right aileron, the strong wind lifted the right wing, causing the left wingtip to strike the ground. This resulted in an uncontrolled left swerve and a propeller strike. The aircraft pivoted 360° on the left wingtip before coming to rest upright on its landing gear. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing, and the pilot was not injured.
Review of air traffic control communications and ADS-B data established that the tower controller had issued a wake turbulence caution to the pilot of the Cessna 208B. At the time of the incident, the surface wind was reported at 170° at 18 knots, gusting to 27 knots.