CESSNA 560
Salinas, CA, November 29, 2016
Event Information
| Date | November 29, 2016 |
| Event Type | INC |
| Location | Salinas, CA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 36.66278, -121.60639 |
| Airport | SALINAS MUNI |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
| NTSB Number | GAA17IA083 |
| Event ID | 20161130X21828 |
Aircraft
| Make | CESSNA |
| Model | 560 |
| Registration # | N22AF |
| Operator | BILL MASSA CO INC |
| Owner | BILL MASSA CO INC |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | MINR |
Conditions
| Light Condition | NITE |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a parked helicopter.
Full Narrative
***This report was modified on October 23, 2018. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.***
On November 28, 2016, at 2030 Pacific standard time, after landing and after transitioning from taxiway Foxtrot to a taxilane, a Cessna 560 airplane, N22AF, struck a helicopter, N530PJ, that was parked in a non-movement area at Salinas Municipal Airport, Salinas, California. The airplane sustained minor damage to the right-wing tip and the pilot was not injured, but the helicopter required major repair. The airplane was registered to Bill Massa Company Incorporated, Salinas, California, and was being operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a night visual flight rules flight. The flight originated from Salinas, California, and had returned to Salinas.
According to the pilot, he landed the airplane and was taxiing to his hangar. The pilot reported that he used taxiway Foxtrot and made a right turn into the transient parking area heading southeast via the taxilane. He recalled that he was concerned with remaining a safe distance from an airplane that was parked on the left side of the taxilane and turned the airplane to the right, away from the taxilane centerline; the airplane's right wing struck a helicopter that was parked on the right side of the taxilane.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Salinas Municipal Airport is a category B-II airport. FAA Advisory Circular 150/530013A, Airport Design, page 124, Table 4-1 Design Standards Based on Airplane Design Group (ADG), indicates that Group II airports have a 57-ft 6-inch Taxilane Object Free Area (TOFA) on either side of the taxilane centerline. FAA aviation safety inspectors measured the taxilane at Salinas Municipal Airport, and it was 47 ft 6 inches on either side of the taxilane centerline. The airplane that the pilot attempted to avoid was parked on the left side of the taxilane centerline within the limits of the TOFA. The perpendicular distance between the helicopter and the parked airplane was 80 ft (the absolute distance was not measured). The wingspan of the incident airplane was 56 ft 4 in.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.