- Date
- July 2, 1986, 22:20 local (Jul 3, 1986, 05:20 UTC)
- Place
- Los Angeles, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N54203Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860702030419A
- Case key
- 25207
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 private plt had no prior experience at the Los Angeles intl. Arpt. & the plt was unknowledgeable of the existence of arpt motor vehicle traffic service roads. The plt was given an ATC clearance to taxi, & in the darkness the plt mistook a service road for the desired taxiway. Also, the plt reported to the NTSB that he was in a hurry to fly from lax to san diego because he had to return to work. The plt acknowledged that, while taxiing, he had momentarily diverted his attention to inside the cockpit. When he looked back outside he observed a truck, but he believed his right wing would clear it. The truck, which had stopped on the service road & was holding for air traffic, was struck on its left rear side by the Cessna's right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54203
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274915
- Airframe hours
- 2,013
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Skylighters Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Walter Moredock & M. Berline
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 6, 1986 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Destination
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Airport
- LAX · Los Angeles Intl
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 177 total · 66 in this make and model · 128 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.