What happened
On 29 June 2002, a Piper PA-46-310P Malibu, registration N797HG, departed Jersey Airport for a private flight to Shoreham. During the initial taxi phase from the Light Aircraft Grass Parking (LAGP) area, the aircraft maneuvered between two rows of parked planes. As the aircraft moved through the rows, it passed close to the propellers of aircraft on its left and the rudders of aircraft on its right.
While cruising at 13,000 feet, the pilot noticed loose wiring fluttering from the right wingtip. Upon arrival at Shoreham, a post-flight inspection revealed that the navigation light was damaged and the right wingtip strobe light was entirely missing. The pilot suspected the damage resulted from contact with another aircraft during the departure taxi.
Simultaneously, the pilot of a PA28R Cherokee Arrow III, registration G-BMIV, discovered horizontal impact damage to the rudder of his parked aircraft. Near the impact site, the pilot found debris consisting of a strobe light and navigation light parts that appeared to originate from a Piper-type aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the parking arrangements at the Jersey Aero Club LAGP area. They determined that N797HG was the only aircraft to have departed from that specific parking area since G-BMIV had arrived. The evidence indicated that the right wingtip of the Malibu had struck the rudder of the Cherokee Arrow III during the taxi maneuver.
Findings
- The aircraft were parked in a configuration where the taxi path necessitated passing very close to the extremities of adjacent aircraft.
- The LAGP area does not provide the standard protection distances typically found on licensed aerodrome aprons.
- While the area is subject to the discretion of pilots weighing under 3,000 kg, official guidance in CAP 428 suggests a separation of at least 15 metres between aircraft extremities should be maintained for safe taxiing and parking.
- The contact occurred because the taxi path between the parked rows did not provide sufficient clearance to avoid the rudder of the stationary aircraft.