Cessna 402B and Piper PA-34-200T accident near Boise, Idaho, April 8, 1995
On April 8, 1995 at about 3:23 am local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 402B (N25BH) and Piper PA-34-200T (N3408Q), were involved in the same accident near Boise, Idaho (Boise Air Terminal airport). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO PERFORM ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT DURING TAXI, AND THE GROUND CONTROLLER'S FAILURE TO IDENTIFY THE POSITION OF THE PIPER PA-34 BEFORE ISSUING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DECREASED VISIBILITY DUE TO DARKNESS AND RAIN, PARTIAL FAILURE OF ATC EQUIPMENT DUE TO A LIGHTNING STRIKE, AND DIVERTED ATTENTION OF ATC PERSONNEL DUE TO THE PARTIAL FAILURE OF ATC EQUIPMENT.
FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO PERFORM ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT DURING TAXI, AND THE GROUND CONTROLLER'S FAILURE TO IDENTIFY THE POSITION OF THE PIPER PA-34 BEFORE ISSUING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DECREASED VISIBILITY DUE TO DARKNESS AND RAIN, PARTIAL FAILURE OF ATC EQUIPMENT DUE TO A LIGHTNING STRIKE, AND DIVERTED ATTENTION OF ATC PERSONNEL DUE TO THE PARTIAL FAILURE OF ATC EQUIPMENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1995 · about 3:23 am local time
- Place
- Boise, Idaho · Boise Air Terminal · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N25BH · registry record · serial 402B1228
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
- Aircraft 2
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N3408Q · no longer on the register · serial 34-7770228
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 402B final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 2059 MDT, A LIGHTNING STRIKE OCCURRED, RESULTING IN A POWER OUTAGE IN THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) TOWER. ELECTRICAL POWER WAS RESTORED, BUT SOME EQUIPMENT (INCLUDING THE RADAR COMPUTER AND VOICE RECORDERS) REMAINED INOPERATIVE FOR A TIME. AT ABOUT 2121 MDT, CESSNA 402B, N25BH, CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL (GC) AND WAS CLEARED TO TAXI FROM THE EXECUTIVE HANGAR TO RUNWAY 28R FOR TAKEOFF. ABOUT 1 MINUTE LATER, PIPER PA-34, N3408Q, CONTACTED GC AND WAS CLEARED TO TAXI FROM THE REGIONAL HANGAR TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS AND RAIN PREVAILED AT THE TIME. AS THE CESSNA WAS PROCEEDING EASTBOUND ON THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY TO RUNWAY 10L/28R, THE PA-34 WAS EXITING AN ADJACENT RAMP AREA (WHERE OTHER AIRCRAFT WERE PARKED). THE TWO AIRPLANES CONVERGED AT THE TAXIWAY INTERSECTION, BUT NEITHER PILOT SAW THE OTHER PLANE IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE CESSNA'S LEFT WINGTIP/FUEL TANK WAS SLASHED OPEN BY THE PA-34'S RIGHT PROPELLER, WHICH RESULTED IN A FUEL SPILL AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE CESSNA'S LEFT WING; THE PA-34'S RIGHT WING RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT GC DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ADVISORIES AFTER THE INITIAL TAXI CLEARANCE; AN ALARM (CAUSED BY AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE) DISTRACTED THE TOWER CONTROLLER(S), WHO NEVER VISUALLY IDENTIFIED THE PA-34.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The NTSB's narrative for the Piper PA-34-200T final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 2059 MDT, A LIGHTNING STRIKE OCCURRED, RESULTING IN A POWER OUTAGE IN THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) TOWER. ELECTRICAL POWER WAS RESTORED, BUT SOME EQUIPMENT (INCLUDING THE RADAR COMPUTER AND VOICE RECORDERS) REMAINED INOPERATIVE FOR A TIME. AT ABOUT 2121 MDT, CESSNA 402B, N25BH, CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL (GC) AND WAS CLEARED TO TAXI FROM THE EXECUTIVE HANGAR TO RUNWAY 28R FOR TAKEOFF. ABOUT 1 MINUTE LATER, PIPER PA-34, N3408Q, CONTACTED GC AND WAS CLEARED TO TAXI FROM THE REGIONAL HANGAR TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS AND RAIN PREVAILED AT THE TIME. AS THE CESSNA WAS PROCEEDING EASTBOUND ON THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY TO RUNWAY 10L/28R, THE PA-34 WAS EXITING AN ADJACENT RAMP AREA (WHERE OTHER AIRCRAFT WERE PARKED). THE TWO AIRPLANES CONVERGED AT THE TAXIWAY INTERSECTION, BUT NEITHER PILOT SAW THE OTHER PLANE IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE CESSNA'S LEFT WINGTIP/FUEL TANK WAS SLASHED OPEN BY THE PA-34'S RIGHT PROPELLER, WHICH RESULTED IN A FUEL SPILL AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE CESSNA'S LEFT WING; THE PA-34'S RIGHT WING RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT GC DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ADVISORIES AFTER THE INITIAL TAXI CLEARANCE; AN ALARM (CAUSED BY AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE) DISTRACTED THE TOWER CONTROLLER(S), WHO NEVER VISUALLY IDENTIFIED THE PA-34.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record for the Cessna 402B from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,230 hours in all; 282 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 2,060 as pilot in command; 777 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,867 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Line, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: BOI
- Destination: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28R, 7,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 290° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 am from BOI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Piper PA-34-200T from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,290 hours in all; 114 in this make and model; 198 in the last 90 days; 79 in the last 30 days; 1,208 as pilot in command; 412 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,778 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 1995; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pocatello Air Center, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: BOI
- Destination: GEG Spokane WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28L, 9,763 ft by 190 ft
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.