- Date
- December 12, 1995, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mohave Valley, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N8987VCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951212040539A
- Case key
- 29355
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 failure of the pilot to assure that clearance was maintained while taxiing in proximity of buildings at an excessive taxi speed.
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 pilot was taxiing in at completion of his fourth solo flight. He said he was taxiing too fast as he approached the ramp area. When he realized that wing tip clearance was questionable he applied wheel brakes but the right wingtip impacted a hangar and pivoted the aircraft to the right. When he applied engine power in an effort to straighten out the aircraft the nose pivoted to the right even faster and the propeller cut through the hangar door. There were no mechanical problems.
Factual narrative
On December 12, 1995, at 1100 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 172, N8987V, impacted a hangar while taxiing to the ramp after landing at Eagle Airpark, Mohave Valley, Arizona. The aircraft was substantially damaged; however, the student pilot was uninjured. The flight originated at Eagle Airpark as a local area solo flight at 1000 hours. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that he was taxiing in at completion of his fourth solo flight. He stated that he was taxiing too fast as he approached the ramp area. When he realized that wing tip clearance was questionable, he applied wheel brakes but the right wingtip impacted a hangar and pivoted the aircraft to the right. The pilot applied engine power in an effort to straighten out the aircraft, however, this resulted in the nose pivoting to the right even faster. The propeller of the aircraft cut through the hanger door on impact. The aircraft came to rest with the nose inside the hangar back to the wing leading edge. He reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8987V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17264343
- Airframe hours
- 3,097
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tookie'S Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 21, 1995 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- AO9
- Airport
- A09 · Eagle Airpark, runway 36, 2,400 × 40 ft, asphalt
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19 total · 19 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.