- Date
- June 14, 2018, 14:17 local (19:17 UTC)
- Place
- Salem, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N98395Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180614000339A
- Case key
- 97520
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a pole while taxiing the airplane on the ramp.
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 solo student pilot reported that, after landing, he taxied the airplane to the ramp to get fuel. While in front of the fuel tank, he repositioned the airplane with a 360° turn. During a second attempt to reposition the airplane, the right wing struck a nearby pole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, after landing, he taxied the airplane to the ramp to get fuel. While in front of the fuel tank he repositioned the airplane with a 360° turn. During a second attempt to reposition the airplane the right wing struck a nearby pole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98395
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276285
- Built
- 1985
- Airframe hours
- 12,436
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Illinois University DBA
- Registered owner
- Southern Illinois University DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 5, 2018
- Departed
- MDH · Carbondale/Murphysboro, IL
- Destination
- SLO · Salem, IL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SLO · Salem-Leckrone
- Equipment
- 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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 59 total · 9 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KSLO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 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 N98395 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.