- Date
- May 14, 1996, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7284GCessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960514015909A
- Case key
- 38023
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 visual lookout while taxiing to takeoff resulting in an on-ground collision with a tree.
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 stated that he became distracted while taxiing and the right wing impacted a tree about 6 inches from the wingtip.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 1996, about 1600 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172K, N7284G, registered to a private owner, collided with a tree while taxiing to takeoff from the Buchan airstrip, Englewood, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant was not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that he became distracted while taxiing to the runway and the right wing impacted a tree about 6 inches from the wingtip.
The pilot/owner did not report the accident to the NTSB. A mechanic applied to the FAA for a ferry permit to fly the airplane to a maintenance facility for repairs. The mechanic indicated that the spar was damaged. The FAA notified the NTSB on May 30, 1996.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7284G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258984
- Airframe hours
- 3,249
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert A. Szymanski
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1996 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- X36
- Airport
- X36 · Buchan
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 507 total · 227 in this make and model · 507 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SRQ, 26 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.