- Date
- June 19, 2002, 16:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N95035Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20020619013759A
- Case key
- 54991
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 student pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance while maneuvering to avoid obstructions.
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 student pilot was taxing to the ramp after landing. While approaching the parking area on the taxiway, he veered to the left of the yellow taxi line to avoid a person. The student pilot thought there was adequate clearance between a parked fuel truck and the airplane's left wing; however, the airplane's wing struck the fuel truck and sustained damage to the leading edge and rear wing spar.
Factual narrative
On June 19, 2002, about 1635 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N95035, was substantially damaged while taxing at the Allegheny County Airport (AGC), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local solo instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to a written statement from the student pilot, the airplane had just landed, and he was taxing to the parking area. The student pilot stated that while approaching the parking area on the taxiway, he saw a person walking, and veered to the left of the yellow taxi line. The student pilot thought he had adequate clearance between the airplane's left wing and a parked fuel truck; however, the left wing struck the fuel truck and sustained damage.
An examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, revealed damage to the leading edge of the left wing. Upon further examination of the wing, damage to the rear wing spar was observed.
The student pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N95035
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15285842
- Airframe hours
- 7,878
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-LZC, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pittsburgh Flight Training Center
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 17, 2002 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- AGC · Pittsburgh, PA
- Destination
- AGC · Pittsburgh, PA
- Airport
- AGC · Allegheny County Airport, runway 10, 6,501 × 150 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 34 total · 34 in this make and model · 0 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- AGC
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 467 KB in all.
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 N95035 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.