What happened
On September 27, 2006, a Cessna 152, registration EC-ELI, was taxiing toward the parking apron at Malaga Airport (LEMG) following a solo training flight. As the aircraft entered the parking area, it was struck by the jet blast from a Cessna Citation Excel, registration G-XLMB, which was performing an engine test on the apron. The force of the exhaust caused the tail of the Cessna 152 to lift off the ground and rotated the aircraft 90 degrees. As the plane settled back down, the nose struck the ground, resulting in damage to the propeller. No injuries were reported for the student pilot or the crew of the Citation.
The investigation
The investigation examined the communications between the aircraft crew and Air Traffic Control (ATC), as well as the adherence to airport procedures for engine testing. The investigation found that the crew of the G-XLMB had performed two previous engine tests that day in accordance with established procedures. However, for the third test, the crew requested permission via the Clearance Delivery frequency rather than through the proper channels.
Investigators also reviewed the communications transcript, which revealed a misunderstanding. The Clearance Delivery controller interpreted the crew's request for engine start-up and minor checks as a routine delay, unaware that a high-power engine test was being conducted. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the crew did not station anyone outside the aircraft to monitor the exhaust blast, a requirement for high-power tests under technical instructions.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the unauthorized high-power engine test conducted in an area not specified by airport procedures, resulting from a miscommunication between ATC Clearance Delivery and the G-XLMB crew.
- The crew of the Cessna Citation Excel failed to request authorization from the Airport Authority for the third engine test, instead requesting it from Clearance Delivery, which is not the responsible entity for such permissions.
- The crew did not station a person on the ground to ensure the jet blast would not affect other aircraft or personnel.
- The ATC controller misunderstood the crew's request due to poor audio clarity during a specific moment in the radio transmission, leading to the inadvertent authorization of the test on the apron.
- ATC personnel did not notice the incident as it occurred, and emergency services were only alerted after the operator reported the event.