- Date
- July 2, 2011, 17:25 local (21:25 UTC)
- Place
- Weirsdale, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N1953ZCessna 150C
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110702011949A
- Case key
- 81030
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's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the stopped trailer while taxiing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he was taxiing to the runway for takeoff. The airport was a private, uncontrolled fly-in community and the roads were designated taxiways. The pilot observed a truck and trailer coming towards him and noted that the driver had pulled to the side to let him pass. The pilot looked inside the cockpit to check his power setting, as the taxiway was on an upslope. He thought he had adequate clearance from the trailer; however, the left wing struck the top of the trailer as he passed, pulling the airplane to the left. The airplane sustained structural damage to the left wing.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was taxiing to the runway for takeoff. The airport was a private, uncontrolled fly-in community and the roads were designated taxiways. The pilot observed a truck and trailer coming towards him, and noted that the driver had pulled to the side to let him pass. The pilot looked inside the cockpit to check his power setting, as the taxiway was on an upslope. He thought he had adequate clearance from the trailer; however, the left wing struck the top of the trailer as he passed, pulling the airplane to the left. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration inspected the airplane and reported structural damage to the left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1953Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 150C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15059753
- Airframe hours
- 3,205
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200 SERIES, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ringelman Roger L
- Registered owner
- Ringelman Roger L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2010 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- 97FL · Weirsdale, FL
- Destination
- 97FL · Weirsdale, FL
- Airport
- 97FL · Love Field Airport
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 7, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,028 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 6,887 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- VVG, 2 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 23, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB 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.
Other investigations on N1953Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.