- Date
- August 14, 2011, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N216AFCessna 172P
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 81449
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 clearance from obstacles while taxiing.
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
After landing, the student pilot was cleared to taxi to the ramp area at his flight school. The student pilot stated that he observed the fuel truck and misjudged the clearance. The left wing tip hit the parked fuel truck's ladder and the airplane pivoted to the left, where the leading edge of the wing struck the fuel truck. The damage to the airplane consisted of substantial structural damage to the left wing’s leading edge.
Factual narrative
After landing, the student pilot was cleared to taxi to the ramp area at his flight school. The student pilot stated that he observed the fuel truck and misjudged the clearance. The left wing tip hit the parked fuel truck's ladder and the airplane pivoted to the left where the leading edge of the wing struck the fuel truck. The damage to the airplane consisted of substantial structural damage to the left wing leading edge.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N216AF
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274165
- Airframe hours
- 14,941
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Armed Forces Aero Club Inc
- Registered owner
- Armed Forces Aero Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 11, 2010
- Departed
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Airport
- MYF · Montgomery Field Airport
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 2, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 42 total · 42 in this make and model · 13 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- MYF
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 23, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 188 KB in all.
Other investigations on N216AF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.