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20230717014319I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Crystal, MN · July 17, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 17, 2023 · 08:50 local
Place
Crystal, MN
Airport
Crystal
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N641CC
Reported as
Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
720 total550 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N641CCRegistered now · Piper PA-28-181S/N 28-7890493 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

On July 17th, 2023, the PIC was preparing to take a friend on his first flight in a small aircraft. During preflight, the PIC determined that the aircraft needed fuel and taxied with ATC instruction from the aircraft hangar to the fuel pump. The fuel pump is located on a ramp southeast of the control tower. After fueling the aircraft, the PIC contacted ATC for taxi to runway 32 and was assigned to taxi runway 32 via alpha and gulf. The aircraft taxied to the northwest along the movement area adjacent to taxiway e where there was construction occurring. The area that was most narrow was between the fence beneath the control tower and the construction ending at taxiway alpha where there was 70’ of clearance by NOTAM. While taxiing, the PIC was focused on the construction area to the right of the aircraft and continued to move left. While looking to the right, the PIC was unaware how FAR left they had moved and impacted the fence at the base of the control tower. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the left wing and no damage to property.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 17TH, 2023, THE PIC WAS PREPARING TO TAKE A FRIEND ON HIS FIRST FLIGHT IN A SMALL AIRCRAFT. DURING PREFLIGHT, THE PIC DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT NEEDED FUEL AND TAXIED WITH ATC INSTRUCTION FROM THE AIRCRAFT HANGAR TO THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL PUMP IS LOCATED ON A RAMP SOUTHEAST OF THE CONTROL TOWER. AFTER FUELING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PIC CONTACTED ATC FOR TAXI TO RUNWAY 32 AND WAS ASSIGNED TO TAXI RUNWAY 32 VIA ALPHA AND GULF. THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO THE NORTHWEST ALONG THE MOVEMENT AREA ADJACENT TO TAXIWAY E WHERE THERE WAS CONSTRUCTION OCCURRING. THE AREA THAT WAS MOST NARROW WAS BETWEEN THE FENCE BENEATH THE CONTROL TOWER AND THE CONSTRUCTION ENDING AT TAXIWAY ALPHA WHERE THERE WAS 70’ OF CLEARANCE BY NOTAM. WHILE TAXIING, THE PIC WAS FOCUSED ON THE CONSTRUCTION AREA TO THE RIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CONTINUED TO MOVE LEFT. WHILE LOOKING TO THE RIGHT, THE PIC WAS UNAWARE HOW FAR LEFT THEY HAD MOVED AND IMPACTED THE FENCE AT THE BASE OF THE CONTROL TOWER. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.