- Date
- August 25, 1989, 23:20 local (Aug 26, 1989, 03:20 UTC)
- Place
- Jacksonville, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N738WMCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890825032219A
- Case key
- 32490
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
Inadequate visual lookout by the pilot. Factors related to the accident were: dark night, light pole with an inoperative light, and the lack of visual perception concerning the pilot's ability to see the pole at night.
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
After landing at night, the plt taxied to the parking ramp, but found that the acft's normal parking place was occupied. He taxied to the end of the row & made a left turn toward the next row. During the turn, the right wing struck a light pole beside the ramp. The light on the pole was not operating. The plt rprtd that the color of the pole was dark & he did not see it.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738WM
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270294
- Airframe hours
- 5,663
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Shields, John, doing business as Inflite Sales Company
- Registered owner
- John E Shields DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 17, 1989 · 5 hours before
- Airport
- CRG · Craig Muni, runway 32, 4,007 × 100 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
- 22
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 725 total · 100 in this make and model · 550 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.