Rockwell Sabreliner 40A – N430MP

Incident Overview

Date: Friday 1 February 2008

Aircraft Type: Rockwell Sabreliner 40A

Owner/operator: ABA Aviation Resources Inc.

Registration Number: N430MP

Location: Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport, FL (FXE) – ÿ United States of America

Phase of Flight: Standing

Status: Destroyed, written off

Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0

Component Affected: Aircraft Structure (primarily left wing tip, right wing, and propeller), Engine (right hand wing), and Aircraft Control (left wing).Aircraft Structure (primarily left wing tip, right wing, and propeller), Engine (right hand wing), and Aircraft Control (left wing).

Category: Other

A Sabreliner 40A N430MP incident occurred at Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport, Florida, resulting in significant damage to the aircraft. The incident began with a hydraulic system failure on the primary Sabreliner, leading to the aircraft’s inactivity since October 2007. The pilot and co-pilot were assigned to move the aircraft to a home base at Hernando County Airport, Brooksville, Florida. Following a communication with the FXE ATCT ground controller, the pilot initiated taxiing maneuvers, including coordinating with a Cessna Caravan. The ground controller instructed the accident crew to avoid the Caravan, and the pilot then requested a taxi out, instructing the aircraft to proceed for departure. A Mayday call from the Caravan pilot indicated a potential emergency, and the pilot initiated a maneuver to allow the Sabreliner to pass. A collision occurred when the Sabreliner struck the Caravan’s propeller, causing further damage to the Sabreliner. The incident involved a series of events, culminating in a significant impact with a stationary Sabreliner.A Sabreliner 40A N430MP incident occurred at Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport, Florida, resulting in significant damage to the aircraft. The incident began with a hydraulic system failure on the primary Sabreliner, leading to the aircraft’s inactivity since October 2007. The pilot and co-pilot were assigned to move the aircraft to a home base at Hernando County Airport, Brooksville, Florida. Following a communication with the FXE ATCT ground controller, the pilot initiated taxiing maneuvers, including coordinating with a Cessna Caravan. The ground controller instructed the accident crew to avoid the Caravan, and the pilot then requested a taxi out, instructing the aircraft to proceed for departure. A Mayday call from the Caravan pilot indicated a potential emergency, and the pilot initiated a maneuver to allow the Sabreliner to pass. A collision occurred when the Sabreliner struck the Caravan’s propeller, causing further damage to the Sabreliner. The incident involved a series of events, culminating in a significant impact with a stationary Sabreliner.

Description

The Sabreliner 40A N430MP was damaged beyond repair after being struck by another Sabreliner jet (N3RP, msn 380-42) that suffered a hydraulic system failure during taxy at Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport, Florida. Sabreliner N3RP was inactive since October 2007, due to extensive maintenance to repair corrosion. The pilot and co-pilot were assigned by the operator to move the airplane to its home base at Hernando County Airport (BKV), Brooksville, Florida. The maintenance facility released the Sabreliner to the pilots on February 1. The Sabreliner was located on the maintenance facility ramp in the northwest corner of Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport. The pilot and copilot boarded the airplane, started the APU, and started both engines. About 15:40, the Sabreliner began to taxi out, and contacted the FXE ATCT ground controller to coordinate maneuvering around a Cessna Caravan that was headed in the opposite direction on the same ramp. The ground controller replied “…don’t have you in sight if you guys are in the foxtrot one ramp that is uncontrolled.” The accident crew responded that they were aware of that, but that they wanted to “get out of the way” of the Caravan. Ground control then asked for the accident crew’s intentions, and at 15:42:04, the accident crew replied “taxi out for departure and I’ll get the clearance as soon as I get clear of the Caravan.” At 15:42:50 the Caravan pilot broadcast “mayday mayday mayday watch out watch out watch out.” According to the pilot of the Caravan, he had deplaned his passengers and was taxiing his airplane to its parking location. Since the Sabreliner was blocking his intended path, the Caravan pilot stopped to let the Sabreliner pass. He then saw the Sabreliner coming towards him, and the left wing of the Sabreliner struck the Caravan’s propeller. The Sabreliner continued moving at a speed that the Caravan pilot estimated to be 10 knots, and the right wing of the Sabreliner struck a DH-125 that was under tow by a tug. The Sabreliner continued to move forward until it struck another, stationary Sabreliner (N430MP). The Caravan pilot estimated that the accident Sabreliner had traveled 20 to 30 yards beyond the Caravan before it finally stopped. The Sabreliner suffered damage to the left hand wing tip, no. 1 engine and right hand wing.

Primary Cause

Hydraulic system failure on the Sabreliner N3RP, leading to its inactivity and subsequent maneuvering.Hydraulic system failure on the Sabreliner N3RP, leading to its inactivity and subsequent maneuvering.

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