What happened
On 20 April 2001, a Cessna 150J, registration ZS-UYS, was involved in a ground incident while conducting training operations. The aircraft, occupied by an instructor and a student pilot, was positioned on taxiway H. At the time, a British Airways Boeing 747-400 had recently landed on runway 19 and was taxiing toward the Alfa apron via taxiways B2 and B1.
As the larger aircraft proceeded toward Apron B and subsequently entered Apron A, the Cessna 150J followed the path of the heavy jet. The Boeing 747-400 executed a left turn into parking bay A-6. While the larger aircraft was coming to a halt, the pilot of the Cessna 150J increased engine power and moved the aircraft forward. Just as the Boeing 747-400 applied power to reposition itself slightly within the bay, the light aircraft entered the area of intense exhaust. The resulting severe jet blast caused the Cessna 150J to overturn, leaving it resting on its roof on the apron area behind parking bay A-6.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the movements of both aircraft on the taxiway and apron systems. It was established that the occupants of the Cessna 150J were uninjured and were able to vacate the aircraft following the overturn. While the crew escaped without harm, the Cessna 150J sustained significant structural damage.
Findings
- The incident occurred during a training operation involving two occupants.
- The primary factor was the pilot's decision to taxi into the jet blast zone of the larger aircraft without first confirming that it was safe to proceed.