Cessna 172 N408ER and Cessna 172 N465ER accident near Daytona Beach, Florida

Probable cause

The other pilot's failure to see and avoid the airplane established on the taxiway.

The pilot entering the taxiway's failure to see and avoid the airplane established on the taxiway

NTSB analysis

According to the landing pilot, she landed the airplane and expedited her exit from the runway via Sierra 1 for taxiway Sierra. She had been cleared by the air traffic tower controller to cross runway 16 and proceed to the run-up area for departure from runway 25. Once established on taxiway Sierra, she entered the intersection at taxiway Echo. Subsequently, the airplane was struck from the left by another airplane that had entered the intersection via taxiway Echo. The other pilot reported that he was communicating with a ground controller and that he entered the intersection via taxiway Echo and then turned left onto taxiway Sierra. He reported that he had "double checked" to his left and right before entering the intersection but that his airplane's propeller struck another airplane's left wing. According to air traffic control recordings, a ground controller contacted the pilot of the airplane taxiing on taxiway Echo for taxiway Sierra and asked, "Do you have the traffic off to your right side?" The next two ground transmissions were stepped on, and the airplane entered the intersection and impacted the airplane already established on taxiway Sierra. The airplane established on taxiway Sierra sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA19CA498 for the full record.