- Date
- May 24, 2015, 10:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Wickenburg, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N442PAPiper PA 28-181
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150524011961A
- Case key
- 91328
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 monitor the airplane's wing clearance during taxi, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane.
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
The student pilot reported that while taxiing in the ramp area after landing, he did not visually monitor the airplane's wing clearance and struck a parked airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that while taxiing in the ramp area after landing, he did not visually monitor the airplane's wing clearance and struck a parked airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N442PA
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-181 (181)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843498
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 17,050.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- TransPac Aviation Academy, doing business as TransPac Aviation Academy
- Registered owner
- Bird Acquisition LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 13, 2015 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- E63 · Gila Bend, AZ
- Destination
- E25 · Wickenburg, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- E25 · Wickenburg municipal
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Satellite tracking device, 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 47 total · 47 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KLUF, 33 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.