- Date
- July 27, 2021, 17:42 local (21:42 UTC)
- Place
- Farmingdale, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N73334Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210727006919A
- Case key
- 103578
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 clearance with a fuel truck while taxiing
Findings · 3
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
The student pilot reported that while taxiing to the runway, he noticed a fuel truck was in close proximity to the taxiway. After he assessed the situation and felt that he had enough room to taxi around the fuel truck on the left, he continued to taxi. However, while maneuvering around the vehicle he misjudged the clearance, and the left wing was substantially damaged when it collided with the fuel truck. The student reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73334
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267382
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 7,890.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-O2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Academy of Aviation
- Registered owner
- Heavy Metal Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 2021 · 14.6 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- FRG · Republic
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 35.2 total · 35.2 in this make and model · 335.2 as pilot in command · 22.3 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- FRG
- METAR
- KFRG 272153Z 21011KT 8SM CLR 28/17 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP130 T02830172
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 29, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.