What happened
On March 6, 2011, at 11:40 local time, a collision occurred on the ground at Nangis aerodrome. A Piper Aircraft PA 28, registered F-GDAJ, was taxiing toward the stop position of runway 05 in preparation for a return flight to Chelles. During this maneuver, the left wingtip of the PA 28 struck the right wingtip of an Aquila AT 01, registered F-GTOC, which was stationary on the parking area with its engine running while the pilot prepared for a flight to Lognes.
Following the impact, the pilot of the PA 28 initially continued taxiing, unaware of the collision, until the pilot of the F-GTOC alerted him via radio. The pilot of the PA 28 then performed a turnaround and stopped the aircraft on the parking area. Upon inspection, both aircraft sustained heavy damage: the left wingtip of the PA 28 was severely damaged and partially torn away, while the right winglet and trailing edge of the F-GTOC were also significantly damaged.
Despite the structural damage, both pilots decided to proceed with their planned flights to their respective destinations without seeking professional maintenance advice or assessing the airworthiness of the aircraft. The incident was not reported to the authorities until both aircraft had arrived at their destinations.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances of the taxiing maneuver and the physical state of the aircraft. The pilot of the PA 28 reported that he did not feel a direct impact, but rather a jolt which he attributed to an irregularity in the ground surface. He also noted that he was facing direct sunlight at the time of the event. The investigation also looked into the parking configuration, noting that there were no ground markings in the specific area of the parking lot where the collision occurred, making it impossible to determine if the F-GTOC was encroaching on the taxiway.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the failure of the pilot of the PA 28 to properly assess distances while taxiing.
- The lack of ground markings in the parking area and the specific positioning of the stationary aircraft contributed to the event.
- The decision by both pilots to continue flight operations with damaged aircraft without consulting a maintenance facility or verifying airworthiness was a significant contributing factor.