20021020036719I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172S · Elizabeth City, NC · October 20, 2002

Date: October 20, 2002 · 14:30 local
Place: Elizabeth City, NC
Airport: Elizabeth City Cg Air Station
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N5004Y
Reported as: Cessna 172S
Reported engine: Continental IO360*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 41 total41 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N5004YRegistered now · Cessna 172SS/N 172S8961 · Built 2001 Airframe modelCessna 172S Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The student pilot of the Cessna 172 struck the rudder of the pa 28-181 during taxi. The pa 28-181 was tied down in a parking space at the time of the collision and no one was in the aircraft. The pilot of the Cessna 172 reported that he was unaware that he had struck the Piper aircraft until he was informed of such by the person directing him to parking. He stated that he examined both aircraft and found no damage. However, photographic evidence of the pa 28-181 shows a crease in the skin of the rudder of the pa 28-181 that is easily observable. The reports given by the pilots of the two aircraft differ in how the incident occurred and as to whether or not the pilot of the Cessna 172 actually stopped to inspect the aircraft or not. The person directing the Cessna 172 to parking has not been able to be contacted despite numerous attempts. Given the damage caused to the Piper aircraft, it seems highly unlikely that the Cessna aircraft was not damaged as well.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172 STRUCK THE RUDDER OF THE PA 28-181 DURING TAXI. THE PA 28-181 WAS TIED DOWN IN A PARKING SPACE AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION AND NO ONE WAS IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172 REPORTED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE THAT HE HAD STRUCK THE PIPER AIRCRAFT UNTIL HE WAS INFORMED OF SUCH BY THE PERSON DIRECTING HIM TO PARKING. HE STATED THAT HE EXAMINED BOTH AIRCRAFT AND FOUND NO DAMAGE. HOWEVER, PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF THE PA 28-181 SHOWS A CREASE IN THE SKIN OF THE RUDDER OF THE PA 28-181 THAT IS EASILY OBSERVABLE. THE REPORTS GIVEN BY THE PILOTS OF THE TWO AIRCRAFT DIFFER IN HOW THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AND AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172 ACTUALLY STOPPED TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT OR NOT. THE PERSON DIRECTING THE CESSNA 172 TO PARKING HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE CONTACTED DESPITE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. GIVEN THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE PIPER AIRCRAFT, IT SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THE CESSNA AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED AS WELL.