What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On April 22, 2001, at 1130 hours pacific daylight time, a Ryan ST3KR, N46503, was substantially damaged when the aircraft's wing impacted a post during taxi for takeoff at the French Valley Airport, murrieta, California. The airline transport certificated pilot, who was the sole occupant and was not injured, intended to conduct a local area flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was operated by the owner under 14 CFR part 91. The tailwheel equipped aircraft was entering the run-up area adjacent to runway 18 when it struck the 4-foot-tall pole protecting a fire hydrant. (-23)N46503 struck a post that protects a fire hydrant in the north run up are at the French Valley Airport. The pilot of N46503 did not see the yellow protecting post as he was maneuvering around an aircraft in the run up area. The pilot was not familiar with the obstructions at French Valley Airport and did not expect to see fire hydrants near a run up area. There were no painted markings, signage or lights warning pilots of this hazard. The aircraft sustained damage to the front spar in the left wing, fabric at l eading edge of left wing and the propeller. The western pacific airports division was notified about the fire hydrant hazard at the French Valley Airport. (See attached sheets) (.4) on April 22, 2001, at 1130 hours pacific daylight time, a Ryan ST3KR, N46503, was substantially damaged when the aircraft's wing impacted a post during taxi for takeoff at the French Valley Airport, murrieta, California. The airline transport certificated pilot and one passenger were not injured, and intended to conduct a local area flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was operated by the owner under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot reported that, as he taxiied the tailwheel equipped aircraft into the run-up area adjacent to runway 18, the underside of the left wing struck a 4-foot-tall pole protecting a fire hydrant. The pilot was seated in the rear cockpit of the tandem-seating aircraft. He reported that the presence of another aircraft entering the run-up area at the same time made it necessary to alter his taxi route and, after he turned sharply, the low post was too close to be visible from the rear cockpit. The pilot also noted that the hydrant was one of two positioned within the operational area of run-up pad and there were no hazard markings painted on the asphalt around the hydrant.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON APRIL 22, 2001, AT 1130 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A RYAN ST3KR, N46503, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT'S WING IMPACTED A POST DURING TAXI FOR TAKEOFF AT THE FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT, MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND WAS NOT INJURED, INTENDED TO CONDUCT A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT WAS ENTERING THE RUN-UP AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 18 WHEN IT STRUCK THE 4-FOOT-TALL POLE PROTECTING A FIRE HYDRANT. (-23)N46503 STRUCK A POST THAT PROTECTS A FIRE HYDRANT IN THE NORTH RUN UP ARE AT THE FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT. THE PILOT OF N46503 DID NOT SEE THE YELLOW PROTECTING POST AS HE WAS MANEUVERING AROUND AN AIRCRAFT IN THE RUN UP AREA. THE PILOT WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE OBSTRUCTIONS AT FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT AND DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE FIRE HYDRANTS NEAR A RUN UP AREA. THERE WERE NO PAINTED MARKINGS, SIGNAGE OR LIGHTS WARNING PILOTS OF THIS HAZARD. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT SPAR IN THE LEFT WING, FABRIC AT L EADING EDGE OF LEFT WING AND THE PROPELLER. THE WESTERN PACIFIC AIRPORTS DIVISION WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE FIRE HYDRANT HAZARD AT THE FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT. (SEE ATTACHED SHEETS) (.4) ON APRIL 22, 2001, AT 1130 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A RYAN ST3KR, N46503, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT'S WING IMPACTED A POST DURING TAXI FOR TAKEOFF AT THE FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT, MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED, AND INTENDED TO CONDUCT A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT, AS HE TAXIIED THE TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT INTO THE RUN-UP AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 18, THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING STRUCK A 4-FOOT-TALL POLE PROTECTING A FIRE HYDRANT. THE PILOT WAS SEATED IN THE REAR COCKPIT OF THE TANDEM-SEATING AIRCRAFT. HE REPORTED THAT THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ENTERING THE RUN-UP AREA AT THE SAME TIME MADE IT NECESSARY TO ALTER HIS TAXI ROUTE AND, AFTER HE TURNED SHARPLY, THE LOW POST WAS TOO CLOSE TO BE VISIBLE FROM THE REAR COCKPIT. THE PILOT ALSO NOTED THAT THE HYDRANT WAS ONE OF TWO POSITIONED WITHIN THE OPERATIONAL AREA OF RUN-UP PAD AND THERE WERE NO HAZARD MARKINGS PAINTED ON THE ASPHALT AROUND THE HYDRANT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.