Dehavilland DHC 6 TWIN OTTER N30EA and Dehavilland DHC 6 200 N70EA accident near Sebastian, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to conduct all of the required items on the Before Starting Engines checklist, which resulted in her failure to detect an open hydraulic circuit breaker and led to insufficient hydraulic pressure to operate the airplane's brakes, her subsequent loss of airplane control, and ground collision with an airplane.

The failure of the other airplane pilot to conduct all of the required items on the Before Starting Engines checklist, which resulted in her failure to detect an open hydraulic circuit breaker and led to insufficient hydraulic pressure to operate the airplane’s brakes, her subsequent loss of airplane control, and ground collision with an airplane.

NTSB analysis

A de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter airplane, N30EA, collided with another Twin Otter airplane, N70EA, on the runway. The pilot of N30EA reported that, once she started the engines, the airplane rolled forward and to the left 180 degrees because the steering-tiller had been positioned sharply to the left when the airplane was last parked. The pilot stated that, when she applied the brakes, there was no response, and the airplane subsequently collided with the right wing of N70EA. The pilot of N30EA reported that, after the collision, she noted that the hydraulic circuit breaker was open; this would have resulted in insufficient hydraulic pressure to control the parking or pedal brakes. The pilot of N30EA said that she should have noticed that the hydraulic circuit breaker was open before she started the engines because it was part of the Before Starting Engines checklist.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA15LA124 for the full record.