20070511006679A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Mariposa, CA · May 11, 2007

Date: May 11, 2007 · 09:00 local
Place: Mariposa, CA
Airport: Mariposa-Yosemite
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2539D
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX07CA157
Reported as: Piper PA38112
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 249 total160 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N2539DRegistration cancelled Apr 7, 2010 · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-79A0360 · Built 1978 Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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 pilot in command was taxiing the aircraft back to the runway after landing and decided to take his shirt off over his head because he was hot. During the time when he was taking his shirt over his head he relinquished taxi control to the other passenger (student pilot) and the airplane drifted to the side of the taxiway and hit a truck that was doing maintenance on the airport. The one inch gash in the left wing caused substantial damage to the wing attach point at the wing root. No injury to anyone involved and weather was not a factor.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE RUNWAY AFTER LANDING AND DECIDED TO TAKE HIS SHIRT OFF OVER HIS HEAD BECAUSE HE WAS HOT. DURING THE TIME WHEN HE WAS TAKING HIS SHIRT OVER HIS HEAD HE RELINQUISHED TAXI CONTROL TO THE OTHER PASSENGER (STUDENT PILOT) AND THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED TO THE SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY AND HIT A TRUCK THAT WAS DOING MAINTENANCE ON THE AIRPORT. THE ONE INCH GASH IN THE LEFT WING CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WING ATTACH POINT AT THE WING ROOT. NO INJURY TO ANYONE INVOLVED AND WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR.

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 LAX07CA157Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportMariposa, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a vehicle while taxiing.May 11, 2007 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2539D · 1

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

Accident 20091208023129ATakeoff · Fresno, CAWhile on initial climb out from fat rwy 20L, the pilot indicated the engine started to backfire and noticed the engine RPM dropping and started to surge around 1800 RPM. The pilot immediately reported the emergency to fat tower ATC and started a descending…Dec 8, 2009 · Destroyed