- Date
- July 12, 2005, 06:20 local (13:20 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N9886KPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20050712015859A
- Case key
- 61951
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 fuel truck, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane collided with a fuel truck during taxi to the runway for takeoff. The certified flight instructor (CFI) noticed a fuel truck to the left and pointed it out to the student pilot, who had the controls. During the taxi, another student, who was in the back seat, asked the CFI to explain how to determine the magnetic deviation column of the visual flight rules flight plan form. The CFI stated that during his explanation, both he and the student in the back of the airplane were looking only at the compass card. At that time, the airplane's right wing struck the front of the fuel truck. The CFI then took the controls and applied full brakes. In spite of the corrective action, the momentum of the collision swung the airplane into the side of the truck. The CFI shutdown the engine and turned off the battery. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On July 12, 2005, about 0620 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N9886K, collided with a fuel truck during taxi at the Ryan Field Airport, Tucson, Arizona. International Airline Training Academy was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI), the student pilot, and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed.
In a written statement, the CFI reported that they were taxing to the runway for takeoff. He noticed a fuel truck to the left and pointed it out to the student pilot, who had the controls. The CFI stated that during the taxi, another student, who was in the back seat, asked the CFI to explain how to determine the magnetic deviation column of the VFR flight plan form. The CFI stated that during his explanation, both he and the student in the back of the airplane were only looking inside the cockpit at the compass card. At that time, the airplane's right wing struck the front of the fuel truck. The CFI then took the controls and applied full brakes. In spite of the corrective action, the momentum of the collision swung the airplane into the side of the truck. The CFI shutdown the engine and turned off the battery.
The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9886K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7816205
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- International Airline Training Academy
- Registered owner
- Jean Marc Eloy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- RYN · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- CGZ · Casa Grande, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- RYN · Ryan Field Airport
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 27
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 555 total · 236 in this make and model · 474 as pilot in command · 190 in the last 90 days · 66 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 25
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 60 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.