- Date
- July 25, 1994, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Naples, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N9236LPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940725048099A
- Case key
- 37578
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
Failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain wingtip clearance while taxiing resulting in the on-ground collision with a light pole.
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 taxiing on a ramp and following a 'follow me' truck the left wing of the airplane collided with a light pole.
Factual narrative
On July 25, 1994, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28, N9236L, registered to Flight Safety International, collided with a light pole while taxiing in a ramp area at the Naples Municipal Airport, Naples, Florida, while on a 14 CFR 141 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated in Vero Beach, Florida, about 0857.
The student pilot taxied the aircraft to a ramp area and when a line service individual recognized that the pilot was not familiar with the ramp, the line service individual drove a "follow me" truck to meet the airplane. The follow me truck was proceeding to a spot to park the airplane when the left wing of the airplane collided with a light pole.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9236L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2841122
- Airframe hours
- 2,872
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Flight Safety International
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 5, 1994 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- VRB · Vero Beach, FL
- Destination
- APF
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- APF · Naples Municipal
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 35 total · 35 in this make and model · 35 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- APF, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9236L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.