LAX06CA062

The airplane's left wingtip struck a parked car while taxiing to its hangar after a flight. The accident occurred in the non-movement area of the airport. The car was stopped on the side of a taxi lane as the first two airplanes passed by it. As the third airplane (accident airplane) passed by it, the left wingtip struck the windshield. The accident pilot indicated that he was not able to judge the distance between the airplane's wingtip and the car due to sun glare from the car's windshield. The airport manager indicated that the car was as far to the side as possible and not encroaching on the taxiway, and that there was about 300 feet of space for the airplane to safely pass the car. The driver of the car reported that he was using a taxi lane commonly used for vehicle traffic and his car was stopped while all three airplanes were taxiing. The first two passed with no problems, and then the third airplane's wingtip struck his windshield.

On December 10, 2005, about 1020 Pacific standard time, a Ryan Navion, N4403K, collided with a vehicle while taxiing to a hangar in a non-movement area at Whiteman Airport, Los Angeles, California. The pilot/owner operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 as a local area flight. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

In a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot stated that he was behind two other airplanes taxiing to the hangars at the north end of the airport. He noticed the first airplane make a deviation to the northeast. The second airplane made a lesser deviation. The pilot noted that the second airplane had deviated around a vehicle on the left side of the taxiway. The pilot slowed his airplane down, but was unable to determine his wing clearance to the vehicle because of sun glare off the vehicle's windshield. The left wingtip struck the vehicle and the airplane yawed to the left. The pilot stopped the airplane, shut it down, and exited without further incident.

According to the operator, the accident occurred in a non-movement area of the airport, as the airplane was taxiing to its hangar. He interviewed several witnesses to the accident. A compilation of witnesses stated that the car was at a complete stop, and the airplane looked like it "plowed" right in to the car. He also spoke with the pilots of the preceding two airplanes. They told the airport manager that they intentionally passed as closely as possible to the parked vehicle in an attempt to scare the driver from driving onto the taxiway again. The airport manager commented that the airplanes had about 300 feet of space to safely pass the vehicle, and the vehicle was as far to the side as possible.

The vehicle driver told the Safety Board that his vehicle was in "Park" at the time of the accident. He said that he was going home after an instructional flight, and the area that he was using was commonly used for vehicle traffic. He waved to the first two airplanes when they passed, then watched as the accident airplane's wing came directly into his windshield.