- Date
- June 10, 2005, 13:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Carlsbad, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA reports
- 20050610019849A20050610019949A
- Case key
- 61715
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 other pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain separation while taxiing.
the pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain separation while taxiing, which resulted in a collision with another airplane.
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
While holding in the run-up area awaiting a takeoff clearance, the right wing tip of another Cessna 172 that was taxiing to the runway from the run-up area hit the airplane's tail section. After being cleared for takeoff, the other pilot had to taxi between a jet, also holding short of the runway, and this airplane.
While taxiing from the run up area to the runway, the airplane's right wing tip hit the tail section of another Cessna 172 that was holding in the run-up area awaiting a takeoff clearance. After being cleared for takeoff, the pilot had to taxi between a jet, also holding short of the runway, and the other Cessna 172.
Factual narrative
On June 10, 2005, about 1345 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172, N1126U, impacted the tail section of another Cessna 172, N587SP, with its right wing tip while taxiing to the runway at McClellan-Palomar Airport (CRQ), Carlsbad, California. Pinnacle Aviation Academy, Inc., was operating both airplanes under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot (sole occupant) of N1126U was not injured, and the student pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) on board N587SP were not injured. N1126U sustained minor damage and N587SP sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilots of both airplanes submitted a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2). The pilot of N1126U taxied to the run up area and completed the run up. He called the control tower for a right closed traffic, touch-and-go clearance but due to other aircraft priorities, the tower could not give him clearance for about 10 minutes. When the tower cleared him for takeoff, he had to taxi between a jet and N587SP. While taxiing, the right wing tip of N1126U hit the tail section of N587SP. At the time of impact, N587SP was holding short of runway 24 at taxiway A1. N587SP was facing north-northeast and was impacted from behind; N1126U was taxiing in a westerly direction. The impact bent the rudder and buckled the vertical stabilizer of N587SP. The pilot of N1126U stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions up to the time of the collision.
On June 10, 2005, about 1345 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N1126U, impacted the tail section of another Cessna 172S, N587SP, with its right wing tip while taxiing to the runway at McClellan-Palomar Airport (CRQ), Carlsbad, California. Pinnacle Aviation Academy, Inc., was operating both airplanes under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot (sole occupant) of N1126U was not injured, and the student pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) on board N587SP were not injured. N1126U sustained minor damage and N587SP sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilots of both airplanes submitted a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2). The pilot of N1126U taxied to the run up area and completed the run up. He called the control tower for a right closed traffic, touch-and-go clearance but due to other aircraft priorities, the tower could not give him clearance for about 10 minutes. When the tower cleared him for takeoff, he had to taxi between a jet and N587SP. While taxiing, the right wing tip of N1126U hit the tail section of N587SP. The impact bent the rudder and buckled the vertical stabilizer of N587SP. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions up to the time of the collision.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N1126U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266855
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pinnacle Aviation Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
- Destination
- CRQ
- Airport
- CRQ · Mc Clellan-Palomar
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.
- Registration
- N587SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8518
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Pinnacle Aviation Academy Inc
- Registered owner
- Skyhawk Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
- Destination
- CRQ
- Airport
- CRQ · Mc Clellan-Palomar
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 · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N1126U
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 210 total · 210 in this make and model · 63 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor, aircraft N587SP
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2004
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 850 total · 227 in this make and model · 773 as pilot in command · 217 in the last 90 days · 95 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot, aircraft N587SP
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- CRQ
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1126U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.