- Date
- July 17, 2011, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Porthill, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N733BTCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
- Case key
- 81152
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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a pole.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that he was taxiing from the runway to the customs area located on the northern side of the airport, which required the airplane to taxi on a road between the runway and the U.S. Customs facility. The airplane's right wing struck a sign post on the right side of the road. The sign post dented the leading edge and bent internal wing ribs. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal flight.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that he was taxiing from the runway to the customs area located on the northern side of the airport, which required the airplane to taxi on a road between the runway and the US Customs facility. The airplane's right wing struck a sign post on the right side of the road. The sign post dented the leading edge and bent internal wing ribs. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733BT
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268174
- Airframe hours
- 4,910
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Northern Air Inc
- Registered owner
- Northern Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 14, 2010 · 54 hours before
- Departed
- KSZT · Sandpoint, ID
- Destination
- KSZT · Sandpoint, ID
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 1S1 · Eckhard International Airport, runway 33, 3,650 × 175 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 7, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,288 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 4,070 as pilot in command · 141 in the last 90 days · 79 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 12, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 114 total · 80 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 136° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
- Observed at
- KSZT, 45 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 583 KB in all.
Other investigations on N733BT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.