- Date
- June 20, 2002, 09:20 local (14:20 UTC)
- Place
- Minneapolis, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N4808FCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Minneapolis, MN MSP FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020620013939A
- Case key
- 55058
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot did not maintain clearance from the vehicle while taxiing. A factor was the fuel truck.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The aircraft sustained substantial damage when it collided with a fuel truck while taxiing off the runway after landing. The pilot stated that a fuel truck was driving on the taxiway to the left side of the runway. The pilot stated she stopped on the runway and requested taxi instructions from the control tower. She stated that the control tower told her to exit the runway on to the taxiway where the fuel truck was located. The pilot reported that she again communicated with the control tower to clarify the situation and the tower stated that they did not want the aircraft stopped at the end of the runway. According to the pilot, the fuel truck moved off of the taxiway to the northeast side on the grass. She stated that when the aircraft passed the fuel truck the left wing struck an extension on the end of the truck.
Factual narrative
On June 20, 2002, at 0920 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N4808F, collided with a fuel truck while taxiing off the runway after landing at the Crystal Airport (MIC), Minneapolis, Minnesota. The student pilot and the driver of the fuel truck were uninjured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The CFR 14 Part 91 student solo flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated at the Crystal Airport at 0830.
According to the pilot's written statement, after landing on runway 24R, she taxied to the end of the runway. The pilot reported she stopped and requested taxi instructions from the control tower because a fuel truck was on taxiway F driving toward the aircraft. The pilot reported, "I was told immediately by the control tower to exit the runway. I turned left onto taxiway F toward the fuel truck, stopped, and then communicated back to tower to clarify the situation. The control tower communicated back to me about the problem with stopping at the end of the runway ... without addressing the truck being on the taxiway at the same time. The fuel truck pulled off of the taxiway to the northeast side and onto the grass. In passing the fuel truck the left wing hit an extension on the end of the truck about 6 inches from the end of the plane's wing."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4808F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273084
- Airframe hours
- 4,522.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Yankee Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 26, 2001 · 242.3 hours before
- Departed
- MIC · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- MIC · Minneapolis, MN
- Airport
- MIC · Crystal Airport, runway 24R, 2,499 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 49 total · 49 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- MIC
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 340 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.