# Incident 20230717014319I: Piper PA-28-181, Crystal, MN, July 17, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 17, 2023, 08:50 local time
- Place: Crystal, MN
- Airport: Crystal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.0625° N, 93.3540° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CRYSTAL (MIC), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.0625&lon=-93.3540&mi=10
- Aircraft: N641CC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N641CC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 720 total, 550 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230717014319I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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