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Atlas / NTSB / ATL87IA083

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ATL87IA083

1987-03-09 COVINGTON, Kentucky, United States Airport · CVG None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N341CA

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

PIPER PA-31-350

Year of manufacture

1979 · 8 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING TI0-540 SER (310 hp)

Seats / Engines

8 seats · 2 engines

Last airworthiness date

19791020

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A3C138

Registrant of record

COVENANT AIR LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

AFTER A HYDRAULIC SYS MALFUNCTION, THE CAPT RETURNED TO ARPT TO EXCHANGE ACFT. COMPANY PLT HAD COMPLETED DAY OF FLYING AND WAS ASKED TO TAXI ACFT TO MAINT HANGAR. DEPARTING CAPT WAS IN PROCESS OF MANUALLY PUMPING HYD SYS TO SUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO ENSURE BRAKING ACTION. REPOSITIONING CAPT TOOK LEFT SEAT AND BEGAN TAXI TO HANGAR, CONFIRMED RAMP AREA REQUIRED POWER AND BRAKING TO MANEUVER AWAY FROM BOEING 767 AND FUEL TRUCK. PLT LOST BRAKE PRESSURE AND PLACED PROPS IN REVERSE TO PREVENT COLLISION WITH TRUCK. COLLISION WAS IMMINENT SO PLT ELECTED TO SHUT DOWN ENGINES. AS PROPS TRANSITIONED FROM POWERED REVERSE A BURST OF THRUST ACCELERATED ACFT TO IMPACT WITH FUEL TRUCK AND DELTA JET. EXAM DETERMINED INTERNAL HYDRO PUMP FAILED DRIVE SHAFT DUE TO IMPROPERLY SECURED RETAINER NUT. THE COMPANY HAS SINCE MADE IT MANDATORY FOR 2 PLTS TO BE ON A TAXIIED ACFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_ATL87IA083.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.