Cessna 650 N220CM accident near Sanford, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to keep the airplane on the taxiway while taxiing at night. Contributing to the accident was a miscommunication between the flight crewmembers about the position of the airplane.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that after landing the airplane at night, the taxiway that he normally used was occupied, so he taxied toward the ramp via an alternate taxiway. As he approached the ramp, there were four or five airplanes on the ramp, and the pilot asked the copilot if the area was clear on the right side. The pilot was referring to the ground path, but the copilot thought he was referring to the other airplanes. When the copilot replied that they were clear, the pilot turned right. The airplane then exited the taxiway onto grass and the nosewheel struck concrete, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage structure above the nose landing gear. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19TA133 for the full record.