- Date
- May 14, 2016, 08:35 local (13:35 UTC)
- Place
- Shawnee, OK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N917CPCessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 12, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20160514008399A
- Case key
- 93227
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 remain a safe distance from obstacles while taxiing to parking, resulting in the airplane's wing striking a light pole.
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, during the taxi from the runway to parking, he made a left turn into his parking space. He reported that he had parked at this location many times before, and that his main concern at the time, was to ensure that he did not run over the rope tie downs on the parking space. During the left turn, although the main landing gear remained on the asphalt, the right wing extended beyond the asphalt, and into the grass area where the right wing struck a light pole. The light pole had been erected about 45 days prior, and was positioned in the grass, about 5 feet away from the asphalt. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during the taxi from the runway to parking, he made a left turn into his parking space. He reported that he had parked at this location many times before, and that his main concern at the time, was to ensure that he did not run over the rope tie downs on the parking space. During the left turn, although the main landing gear remained on the asphalt, the right wing extended beyond the asphalt, and into the grass area where the right wing struck a light pole. The light pole had been erected about 45 days prior, and was positioned in the grass, about 5 feet away from the asphalt. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N917CP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8337
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 2,989.5
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Civil Air Patrol Inc
- Registered owner
- Civil Air Patrol Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 9, 2015
- Departed
- OUN · Norman, OK
- Destination
- SNL · Shawnee, OK
- Airport
- SNL · Shawnee Rgnl
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- August 2, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,191 total · 481 in this make and model · 4,325 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 31, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,012 total · 54 in this make and model · 975 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 22 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KSNL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.