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20260406002449I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Alexander Schleicher ASH 31 MI · Gig Harbor, WA · April 6, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 6, 2026 · 16:15 local
Place
Gig Harbor, WA
Airport
Tacoma Narrows
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3150
Reported as
Alexander Schleicher ASH 31 MI
Reported engine
AUSTRO IAE-50R-AA
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
10,550 total
N3150Registered now · Alexander Schleicher ASH 31 MIS/N 31167 · Built 2017Airframe modelAlexander Schleicher ASH 31 MIEngine modelAustro IAE-50R-AARotary

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.

When exiting runway 17 onto taxiway A3 at tiw, aircraft was taxiing off center with left wing down due to 18 meter glider wingspan. Quartering wind caused left wing to lift causing right wing to drop and struck taxi light, unknown to pilot until arriving at hangar. Pilot noticed scratches on right wing and called incident in. Pilot states that going forward he will stop prior to proceeding onto taxi way to better gauge wind conditions.

As the FAA filed it

WHEN EXITING RUNWAY 17 ONTO TAXIWAY A3 AT TIW, AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIING OFF CENTER WITH LEFT WING DOWN DUE TO 18 METER GLIDER WINGSPAN. QUARTERING WIND CAUSED LEFT WING TO LIFT CAUSING RIGHT WING TO DROP AND STRUCK TAXI LIGHT, UNKNOWN TO PILOT UNTIL ARRIVING AT HANGAR. PILOT NOTICED SCRATCHES ON RIGHT WING AND CALLED INCIDENT IN. PILOT STATES THAT GOING FORWARD HE WILL STOP PRIOR TO PROCEEDING ONTO TAXI WAY TO BETTER GAUGE WIND CONDITIONS.