- Date
- July 17, 2018, 09:20 local (14:20 UTC)
- Place
- Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N969RRCessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180717021879A
- Case key
- 99311
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 truck 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
The solo student pilot reported that, during taxi to the runway, he saw a fuel truck parked in the grass on the left side of the asphalt taxilane. He added that he "assumed that the truck driver had left room for airplanes to get by"; however, as the airplane passed the truck, its left wing struck the rear of the truck. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that during taxi to the runway, he saw a fuel truck parked in the grass on the left side of the asphalt taxilane. He "assumed that the truck driver had left room for airplanes to get by," however, as the airplane passed the truck, and the left wing struck the rear of the truck. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N969RR
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275850
- Built
- 1982
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- N969rr Llc
- Registered owner
- N969rr Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- PWK · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- PWK · Chicago, IL
- Airport
- PWK · Chicago Executive
- 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 28.2 total · 28.2 in this make and model · 0.4 as pilot in command · 20.2 in the last 90 days · 4.9 in the last 30 days · 0.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KPWK
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 18, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.