Ground strike involving a Cessna 152 Moorabbin Airport, Victoria, on 24 September 2024

A newly-published ATSB occurrence brief details a ground strike incident involving a Cessna 152 at Moorabbin Airport, Victoria.

What happened

At about 1410 local time, a Cessna 152 aircraft with two crew from a local flight training facility was taxiing to the northern run-up bay at Moorabbin Airport, Victoria. The run-up bay is an area designated for pilots and engineers to perform high-power engine and pre-flight aircraft checks. The run-up bays were full and the Cessna queued behind a Piper PA-31 Navajo twin-engine aircraft that was positioned to conduct maintenance testing, involving high-power ground-running of the engines. A Piper PA-28 Cherokee was in the bay ahead of the Navajo, and another aircraft (a Cessna 172) was in the first bay before the Cessna 152 (Figure 1).

By the time the pilot of the Cherokee had finished their checks and the aircraft vacated the bay, the pilot of the Cessna 152 (the Cessna) had already finished their checks and was given clearance to taxi behind the Cherokee to the runway.

As the Cessna started to taxi, the pilot of the Navajo increased the aircraft engines to full power as part of their engine inspection. The high intensity propeller wash[1] from the Navajo lifted the left wing of the Cessna, causing the aircraft to tip. Airport staff alerted the pilot of the Navajo to the incident, and they promptly shut down the aircraft engines. The Cessna sustained minor damage to the propeller and the wing tip of the aircraft as a result of the ground strike. No injuries were reported by the crew of the Cessna.

Safety message

Propeller wash from high-power engine tests can have serious consequences for light aircraft that can lead to loss of control and aircraft damage. Additionally, the propeller wash forces generated may result in flying debris which can cause damage to nearby people, equipment, or structures. To avoid this type of incident, pilots and ground crew must be vigilant of allowing safe distances to avoid propeller wash, particularly in congested apron areas. Flight and ground crews should also be aware of environmental conditions that can amplify the effects of propeller wash and always remain aware of their surroundings during operation or testing of an aircraft. This can include the re-evaluation of aircraft positioning during engine testing to prevent propeller wash from affecting nearby aircraft. Pilots taxiing in the vicinity of run-up areas should exercise caution, maintain situation awareness and avoid other aircraft conducting run-ups. Pilots are reminded to communicate directly to other aircraft if they believe an imminent safety risk exists to their operations.

About this report

Decisions regarding whether to investigate, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information to produce a short summary report and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.

[1] The disturbed mass of air generated by the propeller of an aircraft.