Cessna 172 N6778A accident near Iron Mountain, Michigan

Probable cause

The mechanics’ failure to follow procedures for high-thrust operations at the nontowered airport, which resulted in jet blast damage to an airplane taxiing nearby.

NTSB analysis

The pilot landed the Cessna 172 at the nontowered airport and taxied toward parking. As the Cessna 172 passed about 200 ft behind a Bombardier CRJ-200 parked on the ramp, two mechanics onboard the CRJ-200 were conducting a maintenance test and were not aware of the Cessna 172. The mechanics increased the CRJ-200’s engine power, and jet blast lifted the Cessna 172’s tail, which resulted in the Cessna 172 nosing down and sustaining substantial damage to the left wing.

The mechanics did not follow several of the operator’s procedures for high-thrust maintenance operations at a nontowered airport, including notifying airport management personnel of high-thrust operations, selecting the most appropriate location on the airport, and actively communicating high-thrust intentions on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency. Their failure to follow these procedures led to their performing high-thrust operations near a taxiing airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21LA388 for the full record.