20040701023999A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Winston Salem, NC · July 1, 2004

Date: July 1, 2004 · 15:00 local
Place: Winston Salem, NC
Airport: Smith Reynolds
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N71409
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL04LA167
Reported as: Cessna 172M
Reported engine: Lycoming O320*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 325 total100 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N71409Registered now · Cessna 172MS/N 17267227 · Built 1976 Airframe modelCessna 172M Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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 owner of the flight school and the Cessna 172 stated that the pilot, william p. wege, and another pilot, beth o'malley, were taxiing the aircraft to a parking area at the termination of their flight. Mr. Wege was taxiing the aircraft when he inadvertently struck a pole with the right wing tip while he was executing a sharp left turn. The right wing suffered spar and skin damage as a result of the collision with the pole.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE OWNER OF THE FLIGHT SCHOOL AND THE CESSNA 172 STATED THAT THE PILOT, WILLIAM P. WEGE, AND ANOTHER PILOT, BETH O'MALLEY, WERE TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT TO A PARKING AREA AT THE TERMINATION OF THEIR FLIGHT. MR. WEGE WAS TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY STRUCK A POLE WITH THE RIGHT WING TIP WHILE HE WAS EXECUTING A SHARP LEFT TURN. THE RIGHT WING SUFFERED SPAR AND SKIN DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE COLLISION WITH THE POLE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL04LA167Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWinston Salem, NCThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the fence post, while taxing which resulted in a collision.Jul 1, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N71409 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20250206001889ITakeoff: Rotation · Shiloh, NCAirplane had a deer strike; it was nighttime the airplane was occupied by an instructor and an student. Airplane did not have any significant damage. The deer was hit by the propeller but no damage was found on the prop and also was not engine stop. Engine…Feb 6, 2025 · Minor damage Accident 19830513019399AUnauth Low Level Opns · Ocean Way, FLAircraft crashed during low level flight. Pilot claimed engine malfunction but not substantiated.May 13, 1983 · Substantial damage