What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While taxing westbound on taxiway foxtrot between runway 17L and 17R, tower called N529MC to cross 17R "without delay … and contact ground". The pilot increased power to comply with tower's request when the nose of the aircraft abruptly turned to the left off the taxi way over a taxiway edge light and around the left side of foxtrot '35L – 17R' runway sign. Passing by the runway sign the aircraft's right horizontal stablizer made contact with the runway sign damaging the sign and separating the tail section from the aircraft resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. Pictures show the taxiway edge light was broken off lying on its side. The aircraft continued to roll approximately another 60 feet to the bottom of the drainage ditch. The propeller had no apparent witness marks of a propeller strike and both wings have no witness marks or damage.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE TAXING WESTBOUND ON TAXIWAY FOXTROT BETWEEN RUNWAY 17L AND 17R, TOWER CALLED N529MC TO CROSS 17R "WITHOUT DELAY … AND CONTACT GROUND". THE PILOT INCREASED POWER TO COMPLY WITH TOWER'S REQUEST WHEN THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY TURNED TO THE LEFT OFF THE TAXI WAY OVER A TAXIWAY EDGE LIGHT AND AROUND THE LEFT SIDE OF FOXTROT '35L – 17R' RUNWAY SIGN. PASSING BY THE RUNWAY SIGN THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABLIZER MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SIGN DAMAGING THE SIGN AND SEPARATING THE TAIL SECTION FROM THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. PICTURES SHOW THE TAXIWAY EDGE LIGHT WAS BROKEN OFF LYING ON ITS SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 60 FEET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DRAINAGE DITCH. THE PROPELLER HAD NO APPARENT WITNESS MARKS OF A PROPELLER STRIKE AND BOTH WINGS HAVE NO WITNESS MARKS OR DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.